Love Goes Through Many Faces
by BabyGirl7
Summary: Love HeartBreak Music And Babies! The Life Of Justin And El
1. Part One

Love Goes Through Many Faces  
  
It starts in Georgia; El is living with her brother Tyler. Its a few days before her birthday and she gets a very special phone call from her other brother in Orlando.  
  
"Hello" El answers  
  
"Hiya Ellie!!!" the caller cries happily.  
  
"Joshy!!! Ohmigosh!! Joshy I haven't talked to you for almost ever!! How are you, how's everybody else?!!" she says in one breath.  
  
" I'm fine and so are all the guys, how are you soon-to-be-birthday… well woman I guess you're gonna be 21." Josh laughs  
  
"UGH!! I Hate it here Tyler is a horrible parent!!! He gets rid of all my boyfriends, hell; he hardly lets me have friends. He doesn't trust me. He sucks; I so wish I coulda moved with you but ya the living on a bus or plane or in hotels touring around the planet constantly wouldn't be any better, now would it?   
  
"Well you get used to it I guess, but it would be harder for you, since you still have school and everything."   
  
"Ya but I'm going to be moving out soon, so imma move far away from here and I'll have my own place and tons of friends and tons of boyfriends." They both laugh.  
  
"Where do you wanna move to Ellie?"  
  
"Hmm… lets see since I miss my oldest brother so much I do think I will move to Orlando." She laughs "You wouldn't mind that would you?"  
  
"Hell no, Ellie!! I'd love it in fact I'd love it so much that I'm inviting you out here for a while as one of your many birthday presents!" Josh exclaimed.  
  
"Omigosh!!! You're so kidding me right?!! AHHH I love you so much Joshy!!! You're the best brother in the world!!! But, umm do you think I could bring a friend?"  
  
"Ya sure of course, but you might want to warn her of Joe, coz soon as he finds out another girl is coming the first thing into his head will be 'fresh meat'."  
  
"I will don't worry." She laughs  
  
"Okay so you go tell Tyler I'm taking you away from him forever, call your friend and tell her to pack, and then you go pack, and then tomorrow a limo will pick you up, the tickets will be in the back, and you will be here tomorrow night."  
  
"TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!" she squeals into the phone. "Geez' Joshy you sure don't waste anytime now do ya?"  
  
"Not when it comes to my baby sister I don't"  
  
"Hey Joshy! We're here." El calls from the front step.  
  
"Hey!!! Come in the door's open!" Josh calls from inside.  
  
"Umm ya my hands are kinda full right now!"  
  
"Then put something down."  
  
"No! Get off your lazy ass and open the door for us girls! Damn boy! I though momma and daddy taught you how to be a gentleman! Am I wrong or…" the door opens "what?" she finishes. "Joshy! Omigosh you look so different I missed you so much!!" they hug.  
  
"Hey Ellie I missed you too! Are you going to introduce me to your friend??" he nods his head to the star struck girl behind El.  
  
"Oh Ya Joshy meet Andie, Andie meet Josh, or JC as he's more widely know." Andie extends her hand, JC takes it and kisses it gently.  
  
"Welcome, Andie, to our beautiful home." He smirks. He steps back so they can enter.  
  
"Andie," El whispers to her "I forgot to tell you that my brother Joshy is in N Sync. Oops…my bad, eh?" El laughs.  
  
"Uh huh.." Andie squeaks.  
  
They walk into the living room and set their bags down. The rest of the guys are sitting around watching TV.  
  
"So, I haven't seen y'all since forever ago, and no one even gets up to give me a hug. I'm kinda disappointed." El pouts. The guys finally notice her presence and jump up to hug her.  
  
"Damn!" Justin says to himself "Lil Ellie sure grew up." Justin shakes his head to rid him of the nasty thoughts that just popped into his head. "C'mon man! She's your best friends baby sister, don't be thinkin that shit!"  
  
"Hey Justy? Ya gonna give me a hug or what?" El says snapping him back into the real world.  
  
"Oh, ya Baby Girl, What's up with you?" he walks over to give her a hug.  
  
"Not much Justy Bear." She smiles. Justin goes into a daze.  
  
"Okay people's how about we play Truth Or Dare just to break the ice and get to know each other a little better." Chris suggests. The guys all groan.  
  
"Man you just want an excuse to play." JC says.  
  
"Oh c'mon y'all it'll be fun." Says El, sitting down on the floor. Everyone reluctantly follows her lead.  
  
"Okay, I'll go first." Says Chris "Okay El's friends truth or dare?" he asks Andie  
  
"Umm t-t-truth." She stutters.  
  
"Okay truth it is. Hmm" he thinks. " okay since you're new I'll go easy on you, what your full name?" Andie laughs quietly.  
  
"Andrea Pamela Lynnburgh, but you can call me Andie." She replies confidently, feeling a little more at ease with the guys.  
  
"Okay, Andie, your turn to ask someone."  
  
"Okay." Andie turns to J.C. " Okay J.C. Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Umm truth." He says  
  
"Okay. Do you honestly have a girlfriend." She pauses "Or boyfriend." All the guys cry out.  
  
"Ouch J.C ! Burned by your little sisters best friend, that's sad man, real sad." Lance says. JC sneers, and smacks Lance upside the head.  
  
"No I do not have a girlfriend OR boyfriend." He says. Everyone laughs. "Okay my turn. Ellie… Truth or Dare." He says devilishly.  
  
"Truth."  
  
"Okay, who is your favourite N Sync member, aside from your wonderful brother of course." He lifts his eyebrow cockily.  
  
"Haha, but no I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings. So give me a dare."  
  
"Okay you have to, run outside naked singing Pop." He laughs. The guys join in.  
  
"No Joshy I am not doing that change one of the questions." El pleads.  
  
"No way, little one ya gotta take one or the other."  
  
"Choose the lesser of two evils Baby Girl, just tell us who ya like most it won't hurt us, we promise." Justin tells her. "Please be me, Please be me, Please be Me…"  
  
"Okay y'all my fave N Stink member is…. Can I get a drum roll someone?" Chris imitates a drum roll. "Okay my fave member is…" she mutters her answer.  
  
"Hey! We gotta hear ya, El!" Joey cries.  
  
"Okay, okay. Joey." She bows her head in embarrassment. The guys start giving catcalls, and hooting.  
  
"Wait to go Joey!"  
  
"Ya baby!"  
  
"Mmm mmm good!" Everyone laughs.  
  
"Okay y'all my turn now. Lance truth or Dare?"  
  
"Hmm…Dare."  
  
"Okay I dare you to… sing Baby One More Time!" Everyone cracks up. Lance starts the song in his deep voice.  
  
"Okay it's my turn now, Joey, Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Dare." Joe sits back  
  
"This is an easy one, I dare you to go give El a kiss…on the lips, open mouth. Tongue is optional." Joey smiles, and crawls over to El. She blushes a bright pink. They lean in to kiss. No one notices, but El slips her tongue just inside Joey's lips. They pull back, El winks at him, and he crawls back to his original spot.  
  
"Okay I think I've had enough of this game!!" JC cries. "Out of all the things I've seen in my life, my baby sister making out with the biggest pimp in the world is the most disturbing!" He says as he leaves the room.  
  
"Ya y'all I agree." Justin says standing up. Everyone shrugs, and go their own way. Andie and El head to their room to unpack.  
  
"Ohmigosh!! Is he a good kisser? Did he give tongue? Does he kiss hard or soft? Damn could you tell if he… y'know liked it? Did you like it? Does he have soft lips, coz they look really soft. Did he take charge or did you? OHMIGOSH!! You have to tell me NOW!" Andie practically screamed once they shut the door.  
  
"Calm down gurl. Damn! Could you ask anymore questions?" El laughs and falls back on the bed. "Oh GOD he is an amazing kisser!! It was real soft but had lots of pressure at the same time, and his lips!! Oh his lips are so soft. I loved it, and no I couldn't tell if he liked it. And yes he was in charge." She sighs closing her eyes to go back to the moment their lips touched.  
  
"And… WELL?? Ya gonna tell me or what?!" Andie presses  
  
"Tell You what?"  
  
"Was there tongue, and if so, who's was it?"  
  
"Well," El smiles, "There was a little tongue, and… it was mine." She smiles devilishly. Andie squeals in delight.  
  
"Okay, gurl, you gotta calm down. Now which bed do you wanna sleep in?" El asks  
  
"Your brother's…" Andie sighs dreamily.  
  
"EW!! ANDIE!!! THAT'S MY BROTHER!!!"   
  
"Yes I am, El, we've established that, you can get over it now!" JC calls from somewhere in the house. The girls erupt in giggles.  
  
"Should I ask her out?" Joe says to himself back in his room. "Or shouldn't I? I mean she's JC's baby sister, and I mean she'll probably be leaving in like two weeks. But on the other hand I know she likes me, I know I like her, and she's the one who used her tongue, not me." Joey weighed his choices and consequences in his head. "I'm going to ask her out tomorrow."  
  
"Morning boys!" El says cheerfully, sitting down at the table for breakfast. "What's for breakfast?"  
  
"Well having it be your birthday, we decided that we should get your favourite breakfast." J.C says giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday Ellie." He says uncovering the platters laid out on the table to reveal French toast, chocolate milk, chocolate chip muffins, and bacon.  
  
"Oh yummy thank y'all so much!!" El says digging in.  
  
"Hey Baby Girl, when'd you get an accent?" Justin says from beside her  
  
"Ya I don't remember any accent last time I saw ya." Lance chimes in  
  
"Well y'know I was still pretty young last I saw y'all saw me, and didn't talk much so that would explain why y'all don't remember the accent. Why does it like irritate ya'll?? Would ya rather I talk like this?" She says turning hard core New Yorker.  
  
"Hey New York accents aren't that bad, El." Joey says pointing his fork at her. She laughs.  
  
"I suppose not, I mean Andie has a small accent." Andie walks down the stairs. "Speak of the devil, mornin' Andie." El says  
  
"Happy Birthday Sunshine." Andie says yawning.  
  
"Thank ya Doll." El says back. The guys pass quizzical looks around the table; the girls don't seem to notice.  
  
"So, presents after breakfast sound good to you?" JC asks.  
  
"Oohh!! Yupp!!" El smiles happily."  
  
After breakfast, everyone piles into the already filled with presents living room.  
  
"Oh, lordy, look at all these presents!!" El cries out plopping down in the middle of them all, and starts shaking boxes gently.  
  
"You've gotta open mine first!" Andie says thrusting a box in her face.  
  
"If you insist gurl." El laughs. She rips the paper of and opens the box excitedly. "Oh… gurl you didn't have to." She says holding up the slinky, shiny, knee length dress up. It was strapless, with a long slit up the front.  
  
"Okay now you have to open my second gift!" Andie says thrusting another box at her.  
  
"Oh, these have gotta be matching shoes! I can tell by the shape of the box!!" she cries tearing the box open. She holds up her brand new sparkling black shoes that will look perfect with the dress. "Omigosh! They're Steve Madden too! Thank you so much Andie!!!" El cries jumping up to give her a hug.  
  
"Ha well I knew I had to get ya something good, after what you bought me for my birthday."  
  
El finishes opening the rest of her presents, squealing every time a new object was revealed. She got a silver charm bracelet from Lance, a silver and ruby studded picture frame from Chris, a Hermese scarf from Justin, a heart shaped ruby pendant necklace from Joey, and bunch of GAP, Steve Madden, Bootlegger, Garage Clothing, Bluenotes, Stitches, Le Chateau, Suzy Sheer Gift Certificates, Diamond earrings, Diamond bracelet, Diamond necklace from Tyler her mom and her dad, and a set of keys from J.C.  
  
"Hey Joshy, what are these for?" El asks holding up the keys.  
  
"Come out side with me." JC smiles widely, obviously excited. El squeals and jumps up to catch up to him. The rest follow.  
  
"OHMIGOSH!!! Joshy!! You didn't!!" El screams. Outside in the driveway sits a brand new ruby red Mercedes Benz SLK. "It's my dream car!! I can't believe it!!!" El runs over and Jumps on JC nearly knocking him over. "Thank You! Thank You so much!!! I love you! You're the best brother in the world!!" JC laughs.  
  
"Well you're welcome Ellie, I knew you'd love it."  
  
"Oh I do Joshy I do!!!!!!"  
  
El continues squealing over her new car.  
  
"Hmm…When should I ask her?" Joe asks himself.  
  
"Ask who what?" Lance asks as he walks into the kitchen.  
  
"Oh um…well I was thinkin bout askin' El out." Joe admits.  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea I mean she JC's little sister, he might freak out a bit."  
  
"Ya maybe I should ask him if it's okay first, thanx Lansten."  
  
"No prob."  
  
"Hey Jace, can I ask you something." Joe asks knockin' on JC's bedroom door.  
  
"Sure man, Come in"  
  
"Ya okay this could be a little…well hard. Ya see I was thinkin maybe, if it's alright with you, maybe, just maybe, I could ask El out?"   
  
"Well," JC sighs, "You are the biggest pimp I've ever met and you wanna date my sister? Man I've seen what you've done to girls, and you can be pretty bad. But it's her life and I can't tell her who she can and can't see but you can ask her. But respect her, and don't hurt her if things get deep."  
  
"Thanks man, you're the coolest brother in the world." Joey laughs  
  
"Ya I know."  
  
"Andie man this car is amazing it has tan leather interior, a killer stereo system and damn! It is just gorgeous man we gotta go for a ride tomorrow. And-" someone knocks on the bedroom door.  
  
"Can I come in?" Joe asks  
  
"Yupp!" Says El  
  
"Hi umm El could we talk?"  
  
"Ya sure"  
  
"Umm alone?"  
  
"Oh right!" Andie says jumping out of the chair she was sitting in. "I'll just go and umm…do something. Bye." Andie silently squeals at El as she leaves the room.  
  
"So, Joey what did you want to talk about?"  
  
"Well, I know I don't know you that well anymore, and you're Jace's little sister and everything, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out? Like tonight maybe?"  
  
"Wow...I mean like umm… wow." She blushes and looks down. "Umm hey sit down."  
  
"Oohh, man you probably have a boyfriend, don't you? You're to gorgeous not to, man I'm sorry…" Joey starts to leave.  
  
"Hey, No! Don't leave, I don't have a boyfriend, it's just like wow. One of the most famous guy's in the world is asking me out on a date and like wow… lordy I sound like a teenybopper…" Joey laughs  
  
"No not by a long shot, they scream, a lot, very loudly." He smiles "So does that mean yes?"  
  
"Oh yes, definitely a yes. But umm Joe?"  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"I take it you liked kissing me?"  
  
"Ya I did."  
  
"Well, would you mind doing it again?"  
  
"El you're my kind of girl…"  
  
"Chicky dish!" Andie begs once she's back in the room.  
  
"Oh-my-GOD!" El cries flinging herself backwards on her bed.  
  
"What happened!"  
  
"Okay well…He Asked Me Out! Can you Believe That! Me! It's Amazing!"  
  
"I take it you said yes?"  
  
"Of Course I said yes! But Oh-My-GOD! He's AMAZING!"  
  
"Why what'd he do!? Get down on one knee and ask you out!?"  
  
"No way better!"  
  
"Oh-my-GOD! You didn't! Did You?!"  
  
"We just made out on my bed for awhile." She says squealing into a pillow.  
  
"For how long!!?"  
  
"Not a long time. Just like 10 minutes after you left to a minute before you came back."  
  
"El, I've been downstairs for an HOUR!"  
  
"You're Kidding! God! Time just flew by SO fast!"  
  
"So what base?"  
  
"Andie I don't kiss and tell!"   
  
"Yes you do." El throws a pillow at her.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"So what are you going to wear?"  
  
"Oh Shit…"  
  
"Oh god Joey, this is like a dream come true. It's so beautiful here. It's breathtaking, it's so…  
  
"Amazing?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It's nothing compared to you." Joey gently strokes El's cheek. They are lying on the beach. It's midnight and the sky is clear, every star is twinkling. Music from the stereo of Joey's car is lightly floating around them.  
  
"You know exactly what to say and when to say it, don't you?" she smiles cuddling close into him.  
  
"No, I guess I'm just lucky." El sighs and shivers. "Hey are you cold? We could leave if you want?  
  
"I'm just a little cold, and I love it here to much to leave yet."   
  
"Okay."  
  
"You know, you could keep me warm." El whispers in his ear, lightly biting it.  
  
"Oh Really, well I think I will."   
  
"Morning people's." El yawns walkin downstairs   
  
"Good Afternoon El." Lance says.  
  
"Oh man, what time is it?  
  
"Quarter after one, sunshine." Andie tells her  
  
"Wow, man I was really tired."  
  
"Ya I was too. Morning El." Joey whispers in her ear  
  
"Morning." El kisses him  
  
"So what are we doing today everyone?"  
  
"Well it's so nice outside I was thinkin we can go out and lounge by the pool all day and have our servants bring us drinks." Andie giggles  
  
"Hey, but we don't have any servants." Chris says.  
  
"Well of course you don't silly," says El "You are the servants!"  
  
"Oh well that's just BS!" exclaims Joey.   
  
"Are you guys ever gonna jump in the pool? It's so nice in here!" Justin asks from the ledge of the pool.  
  
"Justin we're trying to tan not get wet. We'll come in another time." Says El from a lounge chair. Her and Andie are tanning while the boys are swimming.  
  
"Well fine then, to good to swim with N Sync are ya? Well I can fix that!" Justin climbs out of the pool.  
  
"Justy Bear, what are you doing?" Justin starts walkin towards El. "Just, what are you doing?" he grins mischievously. "Justin no you are not! Justin get away from me!" He picks her up.  
  
"What's wrong Baby Girl? Can't swim?" he laughs  
  
"Justin Randall Timberlake you put me down right now!" she cries angrily  
  
"If you say so." He drops her in the water.  
  
"Justin I'mma kill you for that!" she says emerging from the water.  
  
"Damn Baby Girl you're heavy!" he jokes  
  
"Oh no now that's pushing it, get your white ass over here!"  
  
"Oh you know you want me!" He taunts  
  
"Whateva White Boy! You want me!" she giggles  
  
"Oh ya?"  
  
"Ya." Justin jumps in the pool and swims over to El.  
  
"And if I do?" he asks softly, his nose just barely brushing hers.  
  
"I'm a rub it in yo face!" she dunks him under water. He comes up.  
  
"Aw now that hurts Girl." He puts a hand over his heart. "That hurts right here."  
  
"Awe my poor Justy Bear, I was just kiddin'." She swims to him.   
  
"Sucker!" he dunks her underwater. She comes up laughing.  
  
"C'mere Justy, Truce?"  
  
"Ya truce, I Love my Baby Girl." They hug.  
  
"Well now wasn't that heart warming." Comments Chris. "Man I'm hungry, DINNER TIME!" everyone goes into the house while Joey and El stay behind.  
  
"Well that was entertaining, if I didn't know any better I'd think you've got a crush on Justin." Joey says jokingly.  
  
"No we're just real close friends, I mean I've known him almost as long as Joshy has. It was just some friendly flirting, just so I know I still got my skills." She jokes. Joey nods his head. "You're not mad are you sweetie? I doesn't mean anything, I swear." Joey smiles at her.  
  
"What did you call me?" he asks  
  
"Oh um sorry I just… like y'know it just kinda slipped out sorry, I won't say it again." She apologizes.  
  
"No don't be sorry, I like it its sweet." He embraces her.  
  
"Oh okay." She smiles snuggling into him.  
  
"J.C! Wake up!" Andie cries bursting into his room the next morning.  
  
"No." J.C says.  
  
"J.C, it's El she not in our room, and there's no note, and her cell is still in our room, and I don't know where she is!"  
  
"Did you check downstairs?"  
  
"Ya and no one else is up yet and she's not there!"  
  
"Maybe she's outside?"  
  
"It's pouring rain out there!" J.C sits up.  
  
"Are all the doors and windows locked?"  
  
"All except the patio door! J.C where is she?!"  
  
" Shit… umm just a minute I'll get dressed and find Lonnie."  
  
"Hey Lon!" J.C calls across the yard to the big security guard at the end of the drive. "Have you seen my sister this morning?"  
  
"No Why?"  
  
"Well she's not in her room no note her cell is still here and we don't know where she is."  
  
"Sorry man haven't seen her. Want me to get some of the guys to go check things out and look around?"  
  
"Ya please man, thanks." J.C and Andie Head back to the house.  
  
" Hey , what's with all the yelling?" the guys ask coming downstairs.  
  
"El is gone." Andie says.  
  
"What? Gone Where?" Justin asks alertly.  
  
"We don't know, we got some of the guys out looking for her right now though." JC answers.  
  
"Shouldn't we like be calling the police?" Justin asks.  
  
"Only if she's been missing for 24 hours."   
  
"Well isn't this different? I mean it could be some psycho fan who kidnapped her." Joe says.  
  
"Well we'll find out, if there's no sign of her by noon we'll call them."  
  
"Hey J.C Come here!" Lonnie calls through the intercom. Everyone jumps up from where they're sitting and runs out the door into the rain.  
  
"El!" J. C Cries running to her." Oh God El get in the house come on." Everyone rushes her into the house and Andie helps her change into dry clothes. She is soaked completely through shivering and sneezing. Her lips have a purplish tint, and she is a ghostly white.  
  
"God El what happened where were you!" Andie exclaims wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.  
  
"Well I got up real early, so I decided I'd go for a jog, and I meant to leave a note I really did, but I guess I just forgot. But anyways I went jogging, and I guess I kinda got lost, and I was starting for the direction I figured home must be but it started pouring and there was no shelter anywhere and I had left my cell at home, so I couldn't call anyone. So I just started heading back here, and then Slim found me and took me back here."  
  
"Oh El, You scared me." JC says pulling her into a bear hug.  
  
"Ya you scared all of us El. " Lance says  
  
"Oh guys I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to, I'll never do it again."  
  
"Awe Baby Girl It's oky c'mere." Justin walks over to her and gives her a hug. "Damn she feels so good in my arms!" He thinks.  
  
"Thanks Justy Bear." El smiles "Man he's so soft and warm and cuddly!" she thinks  
  
"El I don't wanna leave you alone when you're sick." Joey says to El the next morning.  
  
"Ya Ellie you're pretty sick, maybe we should cancel." J.C says to her  
  
"Y'all (sneeze) worry way (sneeze) to much." El sneezes again.  
  
"But listen to you you're all stuffy and you're sneezing and no offence Ellie but you look kinda bad."   
  
"Listen I feel fine, I'll be fine I mean Justin's going to be home and y'all really have to go and I know how to take care of myself. So I have Justin and I have both your cell and pager numbers. So go and have fun, I'll talk to both of you when you get home."  
  
"Bye Ellie." J.C hugs her.  
  
"Bye El, and call me if you need anything, and I mean anything ok?" he kisses her forehead.  
  
"Okay sweetie I will bye." Joey kisses her once again then walks out the door. El sneezes.  
  
"Bless you." Justin walks in.  
  
"Thanks." She smiles.  
  
"So how are you feeling?"  
  
"Oh terrible." She sighs leaning against the door.  
  
"So, I take it 'oh I feel fine' was all an act?" he asks going to her side.  
  
"Ya, well I had to get them out of the house somehow, and this way they shouldn't worry too much."  
  
"Well ya J.C might worry a bit, but Joe was never one to worry specially about a girlfriend." Justin laughs then realizes what he said. "Oh um El sorry I didn't mean that, it was just a joke, and …sorry."  
  
"Oh it's okay, don't worry about it. So what are you doing today?"  
  
"Well my mom might stop by, but other than that I'm just gonna sit and watch T.V."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Ya c'mon lets go sit down you look tired." Justin helps El to the couch. "Hey ya hungry Baby Girl?"  
  
"Ya sure."  
  
"What Would You Like?"  
  
"A Bottle of cold pills."   
  
"Funny." He comes out with a plate of Oreo's and two glasses of milk.  
  
"Thanks." They eat in silence for a while.  
  
"Justin is Joey really the player that the media makes him out to be?"  
  
"Oh um El, I don't know what to say…"  
  
"Well that's a yes…"  
  
"Why are you asking?"  
  
"Well it just seems that all we have is a…a physical attraction, we don't really talk a lot. Everything I know about him I learned through books and TV and magazines. And he only knows the stuff about me he's heard from you and J.C. I really don't think this relationship is going to go anywhere."  
  
"Well um...El, I know Joey, and I don't want you to get hurt but you have to do what you think is right, and I can't tell you what that is, because that's what it sounds like you're asking me to do."  
  
"Oh sorry." They eat in silence  
  
"Could you turn the radio on, it's to quiet."  
  
"Ya sure." O-Town's 'All or Nothing' is playing.  
  
"Man too bad Lance wasn't here I'm sure he'd be singing along." El Laughs (NTR: Lance has made it well known that he looks down upon O-Town and Bands like them who have been put together by record companies.)  
  
"Ya I'm sure he knows all the words." Justin scoffs  
  
"Oh they're not that bad, I have their CD, some of they're songs are real good, kinda sounds like your early work." El teases. Justin sticks out his tongue and turns the station.  
  
"Now this is good music." 'Back at One' by Brian McKnight is on.   
  
"Wanna dance? I haven't danced with you in forever, I think last time was at JC's 18th birthday, right?"  
  
"Ya," El nods, "And I'd love to dance with you." She stands up and he walks over to her. "Y'know Justin it'd be easier to dance if I could get closer." She points out.  
  
"Oh well, um okay." He pulls her closer.  
  
"See a lot better isn't it?"  
  
"You have no idea." Justin thinks 'man she's real warm.'  
  
"Hey Justin, do you think we could've ever, y'know gotten more serious?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well you know we got pretty close way back then, I was just wonderin' if we would have ever made it further? What do you think?"  
  
"Well maybe but my travelling and you going to school, that would have been a major strain, I guess we were just better off having a long distance friendship instead of a long distance relationship."  
  
"Ya." She sighs and snuggles into his Shoulder. "Justin, do you think it's kinda cold in here?"  
  
"No why?" then he realizes she shivering a little.  
  
"Cause I'm real cold."  
  
"Come here sit down, I'll get you a blanket." he gets a blanket and wraps it around her then feels her forehead. "El you're burning up. I'll be back in a minute." Justin jogs into the kitchen and calls his mom.  
  
"Hi Mama, it's Justin."  
  
"Hi honey, what's up?"  
  
"Mama you remember JC's little sister El right?"  
  
"Little Ellie? Of course, why."  
  
"Well she's staying with us for awhile and she's got a bad cold I guess and she's really burning up and I don't really know what to do."  
  
"Ok well you just wait there hon and I'll be over in a couple of minutes."  
  
"Kay, thanks mom talk to you soon."  
  
"Hey El how are you doing?" he asks her returning to the living room.  
  
"Cold, real cold and real tired."  
  
"Okay well I called my mom and she'll be here soon and she'll know what to do okay?" El nods. "No wonder she was so warm when we were dancing she's got a fever." He thinks. There's a knock at the door.  
  
"Justin I'm here." Lynn, his mom, calls.  
  
"We're in the living room mom."  
  
"Hi honey." She says to Justin. "Oh Ellie honey how are you feeling?"  
  
"Cold and tired"  
  
"Okay. Justin do you have a thermometer?"  
  
"Ya just a minute I'll go get it." He runs up stairs and returns with a thermometer and hands it to his mom, who takes El's temperature.  
  
"Oh my, 101 degrees. We have to get you cooled down. Do you have any rubbing alcohol?"  
  
"Um ya why?" Justin's confused  
  
"Just go get some and bring down a cloth or some cotton balls or something okay." Justin heads back upstairs once again and returns with the requested materials.  
  
"Okay ma, what's this for?"  
  
"Well you know how when you put rubbing alcohol on a cut? Well aside from the stinging it feels cool right? So we can use it to cool her down."  
  
"Why wouldn't you just use ice?"  
  
"The cool feeling doesn't last as long because she's so warm it evaporates quickly, so this is more effective now help me."  
  
"Okay Justin if her temperature goes back up or if it's not back to normal by dinner time take her to the hospital okay?"  
  
"I will thanks mom. Love you."  
  
"Love you too dear, bye."  
  
"Bye mom" Lynn, leaves  
  
"Hey El." He sits down beside her. "Feeling any better?"  
  
"Ya, thanks Justin." She sighs. "I'm still a little cold but not as much."  
  
"Ya well if your still cold at dinner, come and tell me and I'll take your temperature. Cause if your temp goes back up or it won't go down I'll have to take you to the hospital. So you keep that temp down Baby Girl, okay?" she nods. "So where's Andie today?"  
  
"We were supposed to go apartment hunting today, but I'm sick so I told her to go without me."  
  
"Cool, so you're moving here."   
  
"Ya we hope to, it's so nice here." Justin nods  
  
"Well El how bout I help you upstairs and you can go sleep?"  
  
"Thanks Justin you're so nice to be doing this for me."  
  
"Well I can't just sit here and watch you be sick. I need you to get better."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So I can teach you how to dance, coz Baby Girl you suck." He jokes  
  
"I do not," she laughs and yawns.  
  
"I know I'm just jokin c'mon let's get you upstairs."  
  
"Hey people I'm home and I brought food!" JC calls. Andie, Chris, and Lance are already home but Joey was having dinner with some friends and wouldn't be back until tomorrow.  
  
"Hey man!" Justin calls "Come here." JC walks into the living room where everyone except for El and Joey is.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Man El's pretty sick." Everyone else had already heard about it. "She had a fever of 101 earlier today, my mom came over though and we got it down a bit but gotta go check on her pretty soon, and if it's not normal we gotta take her to the hospital." Justin explains  
  
"101? Man she didn't seem that sick this morning. I'll go check on her, is she in her room?"  
  
"Ya last I checked she was sleeping." JC nods and heads upstairs to her room. He knocks softly, and walks in quietly.  
  
"Hey are you awake Ellie?"  
  
"Joshy?"  
  
"Ya its me." He sits on her bed beside her. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Cold tired and hungry."  
  
"Okay, well I'm going to take your temperature okay?" He takes her temperature. "Oh Ellie honey I'm going to get your jacket okay? I gotta take you to the hospital." He jogs downstairs, into the kitchen where everyone is eating. "Hey guys I gotta take El to the hospital her fever's back up to 101. Andie can you get her jacket and someone get my car."  
  
"I will." Justin says. JC tosses his keys to him.  
  
"You two, "he points to Chris and Lance who look worried" if Joey calls tell him we took El to the hospital, but don't mess with him and tell him some stupid lie okay? No jokes. We'll be back soon." JC Goes back upstairs, where Andie is helping El into her jacket.   
  
'Okay kid, Justin's got the car waiting." Andie and JC help her down stairs and into JC's car.  
  
"Hey Baby Girl thought you said you were gonna keep that temp down." El smiles  
  
"Oops, my bad eh?" she says sleepily  
  
When they get home it's already nine o'clock."  
  
"Man I'm tired." El says  
  
"Ya well then you go to bed okay, oh and don't forget to take your medicine." JC hugs her. The doctor had prescribed her some antibiotics after they finally got her temperature down to normal.  
  
"Night, Joshy."  
  
"Hey you need help upstairs?" Justin asks  
  
"No but thanks for asking. Night Justin." She kisses his cheek "Thanks for makin me all better though." She smiles.  
  
"Any time Baby Girl, sweet dreams." He hugs her.  
  
"Justin." JC pulls him into a corner. "Man you still like her don't you?" he asks  
  
"No man we, we're just friends that's all. I lost her heart back when she was in high school." He says sadly  
  
"Ya man she was heartbroken, but that doesn't mean that you still don't like her."  
  
"So what if I do? What's wrong with that, no offence man but she's gorgeous, and she's so nice she has a great personality, and-" JC cuts him off.  
  
"Okay man I get it, but be careful."  
  
"Hey you should know best that I would never ever hurt El." He says angrily  
  
"I know man, calm down, I know, but she's with Joe right now, and as much as I'd rather it be you, don't do anything to break them up. That could cause a real war in this house, okay? So just wait and see what happens man."  
  
"Ya, okay man, thanks." They do the 'homeboy' hug.  
  
"Hey stop makin out in the corner you two!" Chris yells. Lance and Andie laugh.  
  
"Funny, man real funny." JC sneers.  
  
"Ya, ya, retard." Justin mutters and goes and sits down in the chair closest to the stairs. Andie gets up.  
  
"Hey JC come with me." She whispers walking into the kitchen. JC trails behind her.  
  
"Hey Andie what's up?"  
  
"JC, I'm just going to get to the point. You're hot, smart, funny, sweet, nice, sincere, and caring. You are the perfect guy. Lets go out on a date sometime. I know I'm El's friend but y'know I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind. She's always telling me I can do better; I think you are the best thing in the world. What do you say?" she leans on the table  
  
"Wow, you definitely know how to get to the point, and that is a wonderful quality in a women." Andie smiles. "And I think you're right. El won't mind a bit." He smiles. Andie approaches him.  
  
"Come with me."  
  
"Andie wake up." El says while making her bed "I had the coolest dream last night and I wanna tell you about it before I forget." There's no answer. "Hey Andie since when do you like sleepin' in" El goes over to her bed. She tosses the covers aside, but Andie's not there. "Oh so you're already downstairs, and I thought I was up early." She laughs to herself. She walks down stairs.  
  
"Mornin Justin where's Andie."  
  
"Morning El, she's not down here. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I feel fine, I little stuffy, but I'll be better by the end of the week. What do you mean she's not down here? She's awake and I know she doesn't run in the morning, so she has to be down here."  
  
"Well I've been down here since 6." He says "Worrying about you." He thinks "No one's been down here except for J.C."  
  
"Oh okay Joshy's up this early? That's amazing. Well I'll go ask him if he's seen her. Thanks Justin."  
  
"No prob Baby Girl." El walks upstairs and knocks on JC's door. There's no answer so she walks in.  
  
"HOLY SHIT!" she cries and runs out in the hall. "God I Did Not Need To See That!" she yells.  
  
"What are you yelling about?" Lance asks as him and Chris step out of their rooms into the hall.  
  
"My Brother! Naked! With My Best Friend! Naked! Ewwey!!!!" Chris and Lance laugh as El freaks out Jumping around the hall, and Justin runs up the stairs.   
  
"Hey what's wrong? Are you Ok?" He asks her.  
  
"Man go into JC's Room." Chris tells him between laughs.  
  
"Why? What the-" JC and Andie are getting dressed as quickly as they can. "JC man! Nice work." JC shoots him the bird. Justin goes back out in the hall.  
  
"El, c'mon talk to me." He helps her off the floor where she was sitting with her head in her hands. They go into his room. "So are you mad because she's you friend or because he's you brother." He asks  
  
"I'm not mad at them Justy Bear. I think it's wonderful that's she's finally found a good guy, unlike some of the dumbass' she's dated before. I'm just really grossed out that had to be the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. I'm gonna need therapy to get rid of that mental picture." Justin laughs  
  
"Hey guys I'm home!" Joey calls from the door.  
  
"Hey Joe." Chris walks out of the kitchen followed by Lance.  
  
"Man you missed a whole lotta action." Lance says  
  
"Ya? What happened?"  
  
"Well first El got real sick and she had a fever of 101 so she had to go to the hospital for like three hours." Joey looks horrified  
  
"Is she okay? Where is she?"  
  
"Hey man we're not finished. Then this morning just like 10 minutes ago She walked in on Jace and Andie having sex." Chris tells. Joe laughs.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Upstairs, with Justin. He's trying to calm her, I guess."  
  
"Cool." Joe heads upstairs  
  
"Hey Justin do you know if Joey called last night while we were gone?"  
  
"Um ya, he didn't call." Justin says carefully.  
  
"Oh okay." she says sadly.  
  
"I'm sure he just didn't wanna be impolite and ignore his friends or maybe he couldn't get a signal."  
  
"Ya you're probably right." She sounds unsure though.  
  
"Hey El, there you are been lookin for ya." Joe says stepping in Justin's room. "Hey J." Justin waves. "C'mon babe." El half smiles.  
  
"I'll talk to ya later Justy." El says  
  
"Okay." El and Joey walk to his room.  
  
"So how was your night?" El asks  
  
"Oh man it was so much fun we partied till like 3 in the morning. We went to this crazy club and this wonderful Italian restaurant, I'm gonna have to take you there sometime." As Joey goes on about his night El just kinda sits on his bed and daydreams. "Hey El are you listening?" she snaps out of it.  
  
"Oh sorry no, what were you saying? She smiles fakely.  
  
"I was just saying this place has the best garlic bread, and that-" El cuts him off  
  
"Hey Joe did you try calling last night at all?" she asks  
  
"Oh no sorry I just kinda forgot, I was having such a good time. But hey that reminds me. The guys told me you had to go to the hospital?"  
  
"Oh ya, I had a fever of 101. I'm on antibiotics right now. But what do you mean you just kinda forgot? You just kinda forgot about you girlfriend who was sitting at home in agony with a fever that could have caused some serious damage if Justin hadn't have been here. You just kinda forgot about me?" She asks angrily.  
  
"Hey honey, come on." El looks away. "Hey I love you." El looks up  
  
"You love me? How many girls have you said that to? Huh? All of them is my guess, what's yours? Y'know what I don't even want you to answer, coz you'll probably lie to me." She starts to walk out but he grabs her arm.  
  
"Hey El come on I'm sorry I'm a terrible boyfriend, I know, but don't be distant lets work it out."  
  
"Distant? You want Distant? I'LL GIVE YOU DISTANT!" she yells she runs down the stairs through the living room past the looks of wonder from Andie and the guys, down the driveway and across the street. Joey runs out side behind her and stops on the front porch. "DISTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU? YOU KNOW WHAT HOW BOUT I GO EVEN FARTHER? WILL THAT BE DISTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU?" she starts running down the street. "HOW'S THAT HUH?"  
  
"El get back here!" he calls "Fine whatever I don't care I can find way better than you!" he yells.  
  
"BY THE WAY I FAKED IT EVERYTIME!!!" she yells faintly in the distance. Joey walks in the house.  
  
"Man what'd you do to her?" JC asks him angrily  
  
"She's all pissed off about me not calling her last night"  
  
"Well ya she should be man she was real sick you saw her before you left, you heard how she sounded. You should've at least checked in once to see how she was." Justin says angrily. Everyone else mumbles their agreement.  
  
"Oh come on! Sorry if I forgot, I was just out having fun! Whatever she'll get over it."  
  
"Joey you so don't know El." Andie says disgustedly.  
  
"Man where'd she go?" Justin asks  
  
"I don't know, she just started running down the street, she'll come back later."  
  
"Man don't you remember what happened last time she went running? She still doesn't know her way around yet. She's only been here like 3 weeks." Justin stalks out the door in search of El.  
  
"Oh he's such an asshole! What nerve he has to say he loves me, god he doesn't care about me one bit he just wanted a piece of ass. How stupid am I. I thought oh no it's just a media image he's so not like that for real. Man I shoulda known it was true." El raves to herself  
  
"Known what was true?"   
  
"Justin! Ohmigosh you scared me!"  
  
"You mean you couldn't hear me on this thing? That's a first." He smiles acknowledging his motorcycle  
  
"I was talking to myself, I kinda tune everything out when I do that."  
  
"Okay, well hop on and I'll take you home, don't want you to get lost again."  
  
"I don't want to go home just yet, I'm still venting."  
  
"Okay well where would you like to go."  
  
"Hmm I don't know, do you have any money on ya?"  
  
"I got some cash and my plastic, why?"  
  
"Well ya wanna go shopping? I mean if I buy anything I'll pay you back I promise, I don't have any cash on me it's all at home and I really don't wanna go back there until I've cooled off."  
  
"Baby Girl don't worry about it, now hop on. We are going shopping!" El laughs and hops on behind Justin  
  
"Girl, should I be getting scared?"  
  
"Why?" El asks picking up another movie  
  
"Well you're buying all these horror movies, are you trying to get ideas or something?" Justin asks. El laughs.  
  
"No I just like these movies, they're fun to watch with a big group of people, specially when they're drunk." She laughs.   
  
"And how would you know? You just turned twenty one."  
  
"Oh come on we all know you were drinkin before you were of age, and besides I can party if I want to." She smiles  
  
"Okay then." He laughs  
  
"You know what Justy? I'm ready to go home."  
  
"Hi, can I come in?" El says after knockin on Joey's door.  
  
"If you promise not to yell at me then run away sure." He says not even looking away from his television.  
  
"Um ya I promise."  
  
"So what's up?" he turns off his TV  
  
"Well we need to talk."  
  
"Ya."  
  
"Joey this isn't going to work."  
  
"Ya think?"  
  
"You know this would be a lot easier if you'd take it seriously."  
  
"Sorry it's just my way of dealing with things I'll be serious."  
  
"Okay so this isn't going to work, we don't have any connection, well except for a physical one, and we don't know anything really about each other. This relationship was based only on a physical attraction. And that's not what I want."  
  
"Well what do you want El? You never know maybe I can give it to you."  
  
"I really don't think so Joe. I want someone who will be serious but not like marriage serious, I don't want a playa. And let's face it Hon you're a playa." Joey nods "So ya see we can never work."  
  
"Ya, but you know it was good while it lasted. But umm, El? Were you telling the truth when you said you faked it?" El laughs.  
  
"Well sorta, I mean sometimes it was good , but uh your style just isn't for me." She replies walking out of his room  
  
"Oh Man! You're kidding! What did I do wrong!?" he calls after her  
  
"Ohmigosh it's movie time c'mon everyone we all have to watch the movie!" El calls everyone into the living room where she's turned off all the lights.  
  
"El c'mon You know you can't watch horror movies in the dark." Andie tells her.  
  
"Who said it's a horror?"  
  
"Hell, you can't even watch comedies in the dark El c'mon turn on a light someone." JC says.  
  
"Oh c'mon you can't watch a scary movie with a light on it just doesn't feel right." She whines  
  
"Come on guys it's only a movie let her do what she wants or she'll just whine and complain about it for the rest of her life." Andie sighs, "Besides we can find a quiet place, and have some fun." She whispers in JC's ear. He kisses her cheek.  
  
"Okay people who's gonna sit beside me?" El asks. Joey, Justin and Chris all groan. "Lance how bout you, since all these guys are buttheads." She sticks her tongue out at them.   
  
"Wow that was mature." Chris teases. El wrinkles her nose at him  
  
"Ya you should be talkin', so Lance you gonna sit with me?"  
  
"Ya sure no reason not to." He sits beside her on the couch.  
  
"Don't do it man ten minutes into the movie you're gonna wanna move but she's not gonna let you." Justin warns  
  
"Well I don't wanna be alone I'll get scared." She pouts  
  
"I'll stay here don't worry." Lance laughs.  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"Psst! Hey Chris." Lance whispers ten minutes later.  
  
"What man I'm watching the movie?"  
  
"Trade me spots please?"  
  
"Hey man we warned you."  
  
"Come on man, I umm I just have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."  
  
"Fine man whatever."  
  
"Hey, where'd Lance go?" El asks  
  
"He went to the bathroom."  
  
"Oh okay. Oh no! Chris is he gonna die?"  
  
"I don't know El watch the movie."  
  
"But it's too scary." she says snuggling into his shoulder and closing her eyes.  
  
"Fine I'll tell you if he died when the movies over okay?"  
  
"Mm Hmm." She mumbles sleepily.  
  
"El hey El! Wake up the movie's over." Chris says gently shaking her awake.  
  
"Wha-?" she mumbles waking up. "Oh Hi Chris where'd everyone go?"  
  
"They all went to bed after they found out you were asleep."  
  
"I was asleep?"  
  
"Ya, you slept through most the movie."  
  
"Oh, Chris did he die?"  
  
"Who?" Chris laughs  
  
"The guy."  
  
"No he didn't die El. Hey how bout you go to bed it's pretty late."  
  
"Are you going to bed?"  
  
"Nah, I'm not real tired yet."  
  
"Oh well, do you think you could walk me up to my room?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well I'm kinda scared." She says bashfully.  
  
"Of what? The killer? There is no killer El, now go to bed."  
  
"I know but my imagination plays tricks on me, but please just walk me to my door then I'll be fine coz Andie will be there."  
  
"Okay then. C'mon" they walk upstairs Chris going first. They get to her door.  
  
"Thanks Chris."  
  
"No problem El, good night."  
  
"Night." she walks in her room and turns on the light. Andie's not there. She opens her door and goes back into the hall. "Chris!" she whispers loudly  
  
"What!?" he whispers back.  
  
"Andie's not in our room I think she's with JC.  
  
"El come on you're twenty one years old you can sleep by yourself."  
  
"But I'm real scared, please just stay for awhile. Please, pretty please with a peach on top?"  
  
"It's supposed to be cherry."  
  
"I know but I say a peach coz they're sweeter, like me." She smiles coyly   
  
"I don't know why I'm doing this. Okay 'Peach' come on back to your room, but I'll stay no more then ten minutes."  
  
"Oh thank you Chris you're so nice!" she hugs him  
  
"So El what's been going on for the past" he thinks about it " six years of your life."  
  
"Well that's quite a story."  
  
"Well I got the time if you wanna tell it."  
  
"Well it started when I was fourteen or fifteen, I kinda started to rebel. Drinking sex, bad crowds y'know. But then things got real bad, I got pregnant, my boyfriend skipped town as though nothing had happened, and I was left with my unborn baby. My parents said they'd help me through the pregnancy and would get me a tutor since I got kicked out of school for 'setting a bad example for the other students' they told me, and I if decided to keep the baby they'd help me out with baby sitting and teaching me how to take care of him or her. But I uh I miscarried. I was devastated. The doctors had said the drinking I had done had caused some minor liver damage but with having a baby it just put to much stress on me and my body couldn't take it. I tried to kill myself after that, so my parents decided that I should leave for awhile so I could get away from my so called friends, and I could go to school. There was a real good school for kids who had had a troubled past in Georgia. It wasn't a boot camp or anything like that, it was kinda like school / therapy thing. That's where I met Andie, she had come from New York; we became best friends. We were the odd ones out in the school we were the youngest. And most the kids there had only done minor stuff, y'know drinking, running away, nothing real serious. Andie and me were the baddest kids there. I had been pregnant, and she had done drugs. So once that ended me and Andie just planned to move somewhere where we could have fun. And then JC called a couple a days before my birthday and invited us out here and we decided that it would be our chance. A reason to get away, to get out of there and make it on our own. So now I'm here, having the best time of my life, and I mean that literally."  
  
"Wow, that was… " Chris is speechless. El wipes a tear off her cheek. "Oh El I'm sorry." He pulls her into a hug. "You are such an amazing person, you have gone through a lot for your age and you have gotten on with your life and want to make something of yourself, that is a true inspiration." He rocks her while she cries on his shoulder.  
  
"Oh Chris, when I lost my baby I cried for days and days. I tried to overdose on painkillers, but after I took them I freaked out and just started smashing stuff. It was late at night, and my parents had to rush me to the hospital and get my stomach pumped. It was terrible, I hated myself, I hated my boyfriend I hated my friends. But then I realized I just had to deal with it I had to forget all my so called friends, because they were never real friends anyway, I had to find a way to love myself again, so I wasn't hurt or angry when my parents told me that I was going to go away I was happy, I was relieved. After I graduated from there I felt so much better about myself. I learned from my mistakes and I got past them." El is silent for a while. "So do you still think I'm a peach?" she asks looking up at him.  
  
"Of course I do." He smiles. El smiles back.  
  
"Chris, would you think bad of me if I kissed you?"  
  
"No not at all." El kisses him "Good."  
  
"Morning Sun- oh my gosh…" Andie says walking into her and El's room the next morning and finding Chris and El in bed together.  
  
"Mmm what?" El mumbles waking up "Oh hi Doll."  
  
"El what's going on?"  
  
"Oh um…" El wakes up fully "It's not what it looks like trust me, see my clothes are still on." She says getting out of bed.  
  
"Hey peach what's going on?" Chris says rolling over "Oh umm Andie it's not what it looks like."  
  
"So I've heard. El come on lets go talk." El and Andie go into JC's room.  
  
"Is JC already up?" El asks  
  
"Ya he went to get some breakfast, what's going on?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Nothing? It's only been two weeks since you and Joey broke up and I find you in bed with Chris."  
  
"Hey come on I was scared last night after the movie, and you know how I get, so I asked him to walk me to my room, I never planned on him staying, but I got there and you weren't there and I was scared to be alone so I asked Chris to stay and talk to me for awhile. So we got talking and he asked me about the past six years and you know how long a story that is, so I told that and I cried and stuff and then we just kinda fell asleep."  
  
"Okay what else?"  
  
"What do you mean what else?"  
  
"Oh come on El, you know what I mean. Did anything else happen?"  
  
"Well we kissed, just once or twice, and then we fell asleep."  
  
"What's with this peach thing?"  
  
"That's an inside joke."  
  
"Okay then."   
  
"Ya."  
  
"Well girl you go shower, coz you smell."  
  
"Ya okay but Andie?"  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"Just keep it on the down low for now, I don't know if anything is gonna happen okay?"  
  
"Sure Sunshine anything for my girl."  
  
"Thanks you're a doll."  
  
"Hey who's up for some basketball?" Justin calls from out side.  
  
"Oh me I haven't played you in forever!" El cries jumping up from the couch "Come on Chris let's play."  
  
"Sure why not."  
  
"Andie, Josh, Joey, Lance wanna play?" El asks  
  
"No, I suck at basket ball. I'll watch." Lance says  
  
"Hey we'll play." JC says  
  
"Ya me too." Joey says. They walk out side.  
  
"Okay Me Justin Joey, against Andie Josh, and Chris." El says taking the ball from Justin.  
  
"Since when do you pick teams?" Justin asks taking the ball back  
  
"Since I got the ball." El says grabbing it outta his hand.  
  
"Man this has gotta be good." Lance says from the side referring to the fact that El chose to play against Chris, who as of two weeks ago is her boyfriend.  
  
"Oh ya it will be I'mma play against my boy and I'mma kick his ass!" El says confidently.  
  
"Oh don't be too sure, little girl." Chris challenges  
  
"Actually Chris my Baby Girl got skills. "Justin says high fiving El.  
  
"Oh ya. Let's get it ON!"  
  
"El I can't believe you beat me! That so shoulda been a foul!" Chris exclaims  
  
"Oh come on if you hadda grabbed me you would have won." She says grabbing a bottle of water for the both of them from the fridge.  
  
"Well sorry for being a gentleman, I mean your brother was like right there." El laughs  
  
"Well sometimes you just gotta be forward baby." she grins seductively.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Hey wow! Not in the living room please!" JC says walking in on El and Chris making out on the couch.  
  
"Sorry Joshy. So what's going on tonight?" El asks  
  
"What do you mean what's going on?" he asks  
  
"Well I've been here for almost 4 months an' I haven't gone clubbing once."  
  
"So you want to go clubbing?"  
  
"Ya how's bout it people." El asks everyone  
  
"Meredith's got a concert tonight, I want to be there. Sorry" Lance says  
  
"I'd Love to." Says Justin  
  
"I got plans sorry." Says Joe  
  
"Well we're free." Says JC about him and Andie  
  
"Great, how bout it Baby? Wanna go clubbing with me?" she asks Chris  
  
"I got a meeting real early tomorrow. Sorry Peachy I'll go another time." Chris says  
  
"It's okay, don't worry about it." She kisses him on the cheek. "I'll just have fun without you." She teases.  
  
"Damn, Joshy This Club Is Slammin!" El says over the blaring music.  
  
"Ya we come here all the time." JC says. Nelly's Hot In Herre comes on.  
  
"Oh Justin you have to come and dance with me I love this song." El says pulling him out of the booth.  
  
"As if I had a choice." He laughs  
  
"Are you going to be able to keep up with me?" El asks  
  
"I think you need to be askin yourself that Baby Girl, I am a skilled dancer." El laughs  
  
"Whateva you say darlin"  
  
"Damn Girl where'd you learn to dance like that!." Justin cries walking back to their table with El.  
  
"I don't know music videos I guess." She laughs  
  
"Damn I wonder what Chris would think seeing you dance like that with me?"  
  
"Well, he shouldn't mind I mean we're only friends."  
  
"Ya, just friends." He agrees half-heartedly  
  
"But y'know what would make us better friends?" she grins  
  
"What?"  
  
"If ya got me a drink at the bar."   
  
"What would you like?" he asks  
  
"Umm I don't know choose something you think I'd like, surprise me."  
  
"Sure I'll be right back."  
  
"Hey Ellie, I saw some of those moves you were pulling out there." JC says as him and Andie walk over to the table.  
  
"Ya good aren't they?" she laughs  
  
"Where the hell would you learn those kinda moves?"  
  
"Same place I learned them." Andie laughs  
  
"Oh so you can do that to?" JC asks. Andie nods. "Well then lets get dancin'!" he pulls her back onto the floor.  
  
"Okay I'm Back." Justin says returning with two drinks in his hand.  
  
"Oohh yay, what'd ya get me?" she says excitedly  
  
"Calm down girl you sound like a brat on her birthday. Sides these are both for Me." he says taking a drink  
  
"Oh Justy, c'mon hon please gimme a drink." She says sweetly  
  
"Okay, I got you the house drink. It's a Baileys milk shake, I've heard they're real good. Thought you might like it."  
  
"Oohh sounds yummy." She tries some "Oh Justin this is so yummy you have to try some." She hands him back the drink.  
  
"Girl this is good." El takes another drink.  
  
"Oh Jussy is jussa notha drink, I's not drunk yet." El giggles  
  
"The key word there being 'yet', come on El I'm going to find JC and we're going to go home."  
  
"Oohh car ride!" she claps excitedly  
  
"Don't do that." He says grabbing her hands  
  
"Hey Jace, man we gotta head out."  
  
"Why?" JC asks walking over to Justin with Andie  
  
"El's drunk."  
  
"Oh Okay." JC laughs "We'll go get our jackets you take El to the car."  
  
"El sit down in the back. There okay" Justin says helping El into the car  
  
"Oh Justin." She says pulling him on top of her and kissing him.  
  
"El…God El what are you doing?" he asks angrily getting off of her  
  
"I was kissing you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I love you." She giggles  
  
"Jesus Christ El!" he kicks a tire "Then why the hell aren't you going out with me and not those other guys?"  
  
"Coz I was tryin to believe I didn't love you coz you don't love me coz you left me." She pouts happily  
  
"But El I love you, I just didn't want to hurt you, you agreed that we should just be friends too." He waits for her to answer, but she doesn't. "El what are you-?" he looks in the back seat and sees that El is asleep. "Dammit El." He whispers 


	2. Part Two

"Oohh ouch my head!" El moans getting out of bed the next morning.  
  
"Finally you're awake you snore like a lawn mower." Justin says from the other side of the room.  
  
"I'm never drinking like that again." She moans pulling the covers over her head.  
  
"Yes you will and you know it." He laughs  
  
"Oohh no loud noises please." She sighs "Where's Chris?"  
  
"He had a meeting this morning he'll be back by noon."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"El did you mean anything you said last night?"  
  
"I don't even remember anything I said last night."  
  
"Oh okay then."  
  
"Justy?" she says pulling the covers under her chin  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"Am I a cute drunk?"  
  
"The cutest El." Justin laughs   
  
"Thank you. Can you make me feel better?" she pouts  
  
"There's some Advil there on your stand." He smiles.  
  
"Tanx." Justin walks over and sits beside her. "I don't feel good."  
  
"I know Baby Girl neither do I." He says pulling her into a hug  
  
"Morning Sunshine! How ya feeling!" Andie says loudly as El comes down stairs.  
  
"Evil bitch." She mumbles  
  
"Oh Hunny! Do you have a hangover?" she asks getting up and putting her arm around El. She nods her head yes. "Well I got something to fix that." She walks her into the kitchen and sits her on a chair. She starts mixing things together.  
  
"What are you making?"  
  
"A little something my ma taught me."  
  
"What's in it?" she asks taking the glass Andie holds out  
  
"Family secret." She grins, El takes a sip and gags  
  
"EWW THAT IS DISGUSTING!"  
  
"Drink it it'll make you feel better I promise."  
  
"It'll prob'ly make me throw up."  
  
"Look who it is! My little drinker baby!." Chris says happily walking into the living room  
  
"Hiya honey." El says getting up to hug him. 'Why doesn't this feel right?' she asks herself  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Ya I feel fine."  
  
"Good coz I wanna take you out tonight."  
  
"Where."  
  
"Just dinner and dancing, no clubs though don't worry."  
  
"Okay, fancy or casual?"  
  
"Fancy very fancy." He says kissing her. "And romantic."  
  
"Oohh sounds fun." She smiles  
  
"I got reservations for six thirty, so be ready to leave at six."  
  
"Sure hon."  
  
"El come on we're going to be late!" Chris calls upstairs  
  
"I'm coming just one more minute."  
  
"It better be worth it!"  
  
"It will be."  
  
"So where are you going?" Justin asks  
  
"Dinner and dancing at this cute little Cuban restaurant, does she like salsa dancing?"  
  
"The forbidden dance?"  
  
"Ya, sure."  
  
"Oh she'll love it."  
  
"Chris I'm coming!" El calls from upstairs. As she walks down Chris and Justin stare in awe. She is wearing a fire engine red, silk, strapless, full-length dress with a slit going all the way up the leg. The trim around the dress is sparkly and looks like diamonds. Her shoes are the same colour as the dress and are sparkly like the trim. Chris is speechless.  
  
"God you look gorgeous Baby Girl." Justin exclaims picking her up off the last couple of steps and spinning her around. She laughs happily  
  
"Lordy Justin you'd think I was going on the date with you." She smiles happily  
  
"Well seeing you like this I wish I was." He stares  
  
"Wow Peachy you…you look so beautiful…" Chris says. He breaks out of trance and looks at his watch. "We have to go, we're going to be late. Come on El. See ya later Justin."  
  
"Bye Chris, Bye Baby Girl."  
  
"Bye Justin." El runs and gives him a quick kiss on the lips, and then she runs to the door where Chris is waiting, but where he couldn't see the kiss.  
  
"El you look so amazing tonight, everybody was staring when you walked in." Chris says at the restaurant  
  
"Oh they were probably looking at you honey." El blushes  
  
"No way." The waiter comes and they order."  
  
"That was delicious!" El exclaims after they've finished they're dessert.  
  
"Ya it was want to dance?"   
  
"Later, I'm to full to dance right now, let's talk."  
  
"Okay about what?"  
  
"Hmm where do you see yourself in ten years?"  
  
"You sound like a reporter." Chris laughs "Well I see myself as a forty year old balding man still trying to be cool. Okay but seriously, um still in the music scene even if I'm not singing. Definitely still working with FuMan. Maybe with a beautiful younger woman." He says taking her hand. El smiles uncomfortably.  
  
"Um ya okay."  
  
"So where do you see yourself in ten years?"  
  
"Well I want to be a, and don't laugh at this, a lounge singer, and I'll probably be living here in my own little apartment, well hopefully a big apartment, I hope to at least have a boyfriend. But whatever feels right you know?" Chris Laughs, El frowns a bit.  
  
"Ya. So why do you want to be a lounge singer?"  
  
"Well y'know Jessica Rabbit? Well I've always wanted to be her, since the time I first saw her till now and probably forever I've wanted to be just like her. Wonderful job, cool dress, sweet funny romantic husband." She laughs softly.  
  
"Do you ever want to have kids?"  
  
"Oh yes of course, I love kids they're so cute and sweet and funny and innocent."  
  
"How many?"  
  
"Two or Four, it has to be an even number though. I hate odd numbers, I have it all planned out I want the kids to be close together so that way they can hang around with each other and be friends. I mean like me and Tyler always got along better, when we were younger at least, coz he's only two years older than me. Joshy was five years older so he would tease me more and I would bug him more."  
  
"That sounds like a great plan. Hey El you want to get out of here?"  
  
"You want to go home already it's only eight o'clock?"  
  
"Well I don't want to go home, a hotel maybe?"  
  
"Um…Chris, what do you think we'd do at a hotel?"  
  
"Oh come on El, it'd be really romantic and I mean its pretty hard to get some privacy back at the house so I thought it'd be easier."  
  
"Or did you think maybe I'd be easier?" El asks angrily.  
  
"Come on El I didn't mean that. We've been going out for like what a month and I mean I've know you for a couple years, and I really like you, And I want to settle down, you feel so perfect to me. I just thought-"  
  
"Well you thought wrong." She hisses cutting him off. "And you've known of me for a couple of years you hardly know anything about me. You know my past and you know me now. But you don't know who I am or what I like or anything about me that really counts." She walks outside angrily but trying not to make a scene. She runs down the steps of the restaurant trying not to trip and not to cry. Once she gets down the block she gets out her cell phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Justin?" she asks tearily  
  
"Baby Girl is that you?" he asks  
  
"Ya."  
  
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"  
  
"Its Chris he just wants to get me into bed can you come and pick me up?"  
  
"Ya sure where are you?" El tells him where she is. "I'll be there in a couple minutes."   
  
"Thanks Justin." El says getting into Justin's Mercedes  
  
"It's no problem Baby Girl, I'd do anything for you. Where do you want to go?"  
  
"Could we go somewhere and talk?"  
  
"Well we could go get some coffee?"  
  
"Sounds great." She sniffles  
  
"Okay so tell me exactly what happened." Justin says handing El her Starbucks coffee. She drinks until the cup is half empty  
  
"Okay well we were just talking, and I asked him where he thought he'd be in ten years and he says all this stuff and then he's like and maybe I'd have a beautiful younger women and he takes my hand and smiles, and I'm just like ya okay whatever, so he asks me the same question so I answer, and he's like okay do you want kids and I'm like ya and he asks me like how many and stuff so I tell him and then he's like lets go get a room, and I'm like no and he's like well we've been going out for a while and I've known you for a couple years and I'm like no you've known of me for a couple years and stuff like that then I leave and call you." She stops and drinks the rest of her coffee.  
  
"Wow maybe talking over coffee wasn't the best idea." Justin says.  
  
"Ya doesn't take much to get me going." She laughs   
  
"Well I don't think he was just trying to get you into bed El, I guess he just figured that you'd feel the same way. I mean who would waste that gorgeous dress on a guy she didn't like that much."   
  
"Well you know he said fancy so I got fancy."  
  
"Baby Girl you went past fancy, all the way to drop dead sexy." He smiles  
  
"Why Justin were you checkin' me out?" she pretends to be offended, but laughs  
  
"And if I was?"  
  
"I'd be very flattered."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Coz you look so good, even in sweats." She blushes  
  
"Really?" Justin asks surprised. El nods.  
  
"Okay new topic, a fun one please."  
  
"Okay so where do you see yourself in ten years?" he jokes  
  
"Justin don't be a butthead." Justin laughs  
  
"Okay, umm what do you want to do with your life?"  
  
"Okay well no laughing okay? But I want to be a lounge singer"  
  
"Why would I laugh at that?"  
  
"Well most people I've told have laughed at it, so y'know…"  
  
"Well I think that is the coolest idea I've ever heard."  
  
"Ya, but it would be kinda hard cause I mean how many lounge's are really around now a days and are popular. It's all clubs and techno sounds now. So I guess I'll just have to change my dream. I can't sing worth shit anyways." She laughs  
  
"El don't say that I've heard you sing, it's practically a religious experience. Your voice is so amazing and even if we have to start up our own little club just so you can sing in it we will."  
  
"You don't have to humour me Justin." She smiles sadly  
  
"I'm serious Baby Girl." She looks up at him her eyes sparkling.  
  
"Really? You'd do that for me?"  
  
"Of course you're one of my closest friends, I'd do anything for you."  
  
"Oh Justin you're the nicest guy on the planet!" she gets up and hugs him. That's the way loves goes starts playing over the speakers. "Oh lets dance I love this song!" El cries. Justin laughs, and stands up. The people near by watch in awe as the beautiful girl in the red dress dances with Justin Timberlake, who seems to be in his pyjamas in the middle of a Starbucks.   
  
"El I love you." Justin says softly so that El won't hear, but just so he could say it to her.   
  
  
  
"Andie, hey Andie wake up." El says gently shaking her. Andie's sleeping in JC's room almost full time now.  
  
"El? What is it? Is something wrong?" she mumbles  
  
"Well it's a long story, and I wanna tell it to you come on get up." El drags her out of bed and their room.  
  
"What's so important that you had to drag me out of bed at 1 in the morning?"  
  
"I had the greatest time tonight!" she exclaims flinging herself down on her bed.  
  
"Okay what did you and Chris do?"  
  
"No not with Chris I think I'm going to break up with him. I had a great time with Justin." Andie looks confused.  
  
"Okay so Chris and me had nice dinner we talked and then he tried to get me to go to bed with him and I refused and freaked out, so I left and called Justin so he came and picked me up and I was upset and all so we went for coffee so we could talk."  
  
"I'll bet he never does that again." Andie interrupts.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Take you out for coffee."  
  
"Shut up and don't interrupt me. So anyways we talked and I told him everything that happened and so he made me feel better and stuff." She stops for a breath  
  
"Okay that's wonderful, I'm going back to bed, night." she gets up to leave. El grabs her and pulls her back.  
  
"I'm not done yet sit and listen and no more interruptions or I'll kick your ass. Okay so we talked and he's like so what do you want to do with your life, and I'm like I wanna be a lounge singer, and he's like cool, and I'm like ya but like there's no lounge singer's now a days it's all like techno and stuff, and he's like well then if it comes to it we'll just start our own little club and you can sing, and I'm like you'd do that for me your so nice, and he's like your one my best friends and then a real cool song came on and we danced in the middle of Starbucks, it was so fun and then we just drove around talking for like three hours. It was amazing. Okay I'm done you can talk now." Andie grins at her.  
  
"Well don't just sit there grinning like the Cheshire cat, say some thing!"  
  
"You like him don't you?"  
  
"Who Justin? I've known him forever we dated in high school; he's one of my few closest friends. Of course I like him."  
  
"No Hunny you like-like him, as in boyfriend girlfriend like…hey hold up you dated in high school?"  
  
"Ya I would have told you ya know but it really hurt me when we decided to be friends so I didn't like talking about it much."  
  
"Because you still like him, actually I think you love him."  
  
"Andie don't be absurd, we're friends." She laughs "You're just tired go to bed."  
  
"No El I'm serious you love him and he loves you."  
  
"And how do you figure that?"  
  
"Well lets see I heard him talking about how gorgeous you looked tonight and other days when you're not around he talks about you, I've heard him on the phone talking to his mom about you, he took care of you when you were sick and when you were drunk and when you had a hangover. That day in the pool where you had your little scene and just the way you two act around each other." 'Plus,' she thinks 'JC already let it slip that he told him he likes you. But of course I promised I wouldn't tell, so…you'll never know that'  
  
"Andie we're just real close friends, now go to bed you're so tired you're not making sense."  
  
"Okay whatever, but you just think about it." Andie goes back to JC's room. El changes into her PJ's. Then she goes and knocks on Chris' door.  
  
"Chris are you awake?"  
  
"Ya come in."  
  
"Hi, um y'know I'm sorry about tonight I just kinda really overreacted."  
  
"Ya that's okay at least you didn't scream and cry and make a huge ass scene." He laughs.  
  
"Ya I guess, but we need to talk."  
  
"Ya we do, we're not going to work are we?"  
  
"Probably not, I mean you probably want someone that's ready to get real serious, like marriage serious right?" Chris nods.  
  
"Ya I'm getting old. I'm starting to want a family. But that's not what you want, is it?"  
  
"No I'm still young I'm just lookin to have fun, I'm sorry I really do like you just only as a friend."  
  
"Ya that's cool, so friends?"  
  
"Ya friends." El agrees. They hug. "Well I'll go and let you sleep night bud."  
  
"Night peachy." El crosses the hall to Justin's door.  
  
"Justy? Are you still awake?" she asks softly peaking her head in the door.  
  
"Ya I'm awake, come in"  
  
"Thanks." She says sitting down on the edge of his bed.  
  
"So what's up?" he asks sitting up and turning on a light.  
  
"Well me and Chris talked, and ya we broke up, but it was a mutual thing, he understood what I felt and I said sorry for teeing out and we're still friends."  
  
"Teeing?"  
  
"Ya man I teed out at the restaurant."  
  
"Oh you mean you freaked out?"  
  
"Ya, that is what tee means." El makes a face at him  
  
"Oh I always thought it was a hot beverage or something you placed a ball on so little kids could hit it, or a letter but I guess that's what it means, sorry." El laughs at him  
  
"You're funny Justy." She giggles  
  
"Ya I am. So what ya doing?" El laughs more.  
  
"Sitting on your bed. Hey would you mind if I lied down, it's kinda uncomfortable sittin' on the edge." She smiles  
  
"Oh ya sure come on." He says moving over and pulling up the blankets so she can get under.  
  
"Oh man I got cheated my bed is hard as a rock and the sheets are like cheap your bed is so nice!" Justin laughs  
  
"Well I had to have the best for my bed."  
  
"Would you mind if I slept in here tonight? My room is lonely without Andie there and your bed is just amazing." El yawns  
  
"Oh ya sure, you can sleep in here whenever you want, no problem."  
  
"Tanks Justy." She sighs   
  
"Ya you…you're welcome." Justin says as she cuddles up to him.  
  
"Hey Justin, you awake yet?" JC knocks on Justin's door the next morning.  
  
"Ya I'm up come in." JC walks in  
  
"Hey have you seen El this morning?" he asks. Justin motions for him to be quiet and points to his bed. "Dude! She just broke up with Chris last night! Unless you were…oh man come on tell me you weren't while they were going out."  
  
"No it's nothing like that come on, out in the hall." Justin and JC walk out. "We're not hooking up or anything like that." Justin laughs.  
  
"Then why is she sleeping in your bed?"  
  
"Well we were talking last night and it was late and she was tired so she asked if she could stay with me because it was lonely in her room without Andie there."  
  
"And that's it?"  
  
"That's it. I mean man I like her a lot but I wouldn't want to be the rebound guy, I can wait for her, she's definitely worth it."  
  
"Man I think you're in love." JC smiles  
  
"I know I'm in love."  
  
"Andie lets go shopping today!" El says excitedly  
  
"Ya sure I haven't been shopping for like 48 hours I'm dying to." She laughs  
  
"You're such a dork, y'know?" El laughs  
  
"I learned from the best."  
  
"I learned from you!" they sing together  
  
"DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY!" El shouts in the car singing with the radio  
  
"Calm down you're gonna drive us off the road." Andie turns the volume down.  
  
"Oh my gosh, guess what I did last night, Andie?"  
  
"Hmm, smoked crack?"  
  
"Ha, ha you're so funny, but no. I slept with Justin."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"No oh no not that kinda of sleep like actual sleep. It's so lonely in our room with just me and Justin's bed is so much nicer than mine, so I just sleep in his room with him."  
  
"How long has this been going on?"  
  
"Umm like two weeks I guess."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
  
"I don't know I guess I just forgot, sorry hun."  
  
"So are you two going to go out?"  
  
"Oh Andie what's with you and that notion of yours? Me and Justin are friends that's all."  
  
"Well don't you still have like a little flame from high school?"  
  
"Well I don't know maybe, but I dunno he doesn't like me like that. I mean we've always been close. It's like he takes care of me. Like one time we were at the mall when I was like 14 and I spilt soda down the front of my shirt and like he gave me his shirt coz mine was white and you could totally see through it, it was so sweet."  
  
"Was that before or after you started dating."  
  
"Well actually the next day he asked me to the movies and that's where he asked me out and I had my first kiss. It was all so… movie-ish, and romantic."  
  
"Oh girl you love him." Andie gasps  
  
"I do not, not anymore than a real close friend."  
  
"No way you love him."  
  
"Haha, I Love Him like I love you!"  
  
"Sorry Girl I don't get down like that!"  
  
"Whatever lets go shop!"   
  
"Hey Jace where's El and Andie?" Justin asks coming inside from the basketball court.  
  
"They went shopping."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Ya so what's going on with you and Ellie?"  
  
"Uh same as usual, just friends." He sighs  
  
"Is she still sleeping in, umm, you're bed?" JC asks awkwardly  
  
"Ya man, it's crazy, I love her so much and we sleep in the same bed every night, and she cuddles up to me but she never shows any inclination to be in a relationship, it's all just meaningless flirting."   
  
"Man you have to tell her how you feel, she probably doesn't have a clue. I mean you know Ellie, never to bright like that."  
  
"I know but I feel like such an ass, I broke her heart and now I want her back. And I'm scared if I do it again she'll completely lose it, I mean you know what happened before, she went out of control."  
  
"I know but that was the past, she was young. That wasn't you're fault."  
  
"But it feels like it."  
  
"Well maybe I can talk to Andie, she might be able to get Ellie's opinion."  
  
"Thanks Jace."  
  
"El look over here! Look at this!" Andie calls to El.  
  
"What is it?" she asks walking over. Andie points at a tabloid 'NSYNC'S HEART THROB HAS NEW GIRLFRIEND?' the heading reads. El picks it up.  
  
"Look they have pictures of me getting into his car , riding with him on his motorcycle, dancing at the Starbucks, and the one time we went to the water park." She laughs "I'm going to get this and then we can go home, okay?"  
  
"Finally I thought you'd shop all night. It's quarter after six!"  
  
"Honey's we're home!" El jokes walking in the living room with her numerous bags.  
  
"Hey El, hey Andie." Lance says looking up from his book  
  
"Where's JC?" Andie asks  
  
"Him and Justin are out playing ball."  
  
"Cool, El lets go for a swim?" Andie asks  
  
"Ya sure I can wear my new bikini. Lance wanna join us?"  
  
"Hmm let me think? Hot girls in bikini's? How about yes." He puts his book down and heads upstairs laughing.  
  
"Hey you two how bout you forget the ball and come swimming with me El and Andie?" Lance asks coming outside. The girls are still inside changing.  
  
"I will, J how bout you?" JC replies  
  
"I'll come in later I want to practice my lay-up." He says  
  
"Whatever man, but El will be in a bikini." Lance calls. Justin stops for a minute.  
  
"Just let me rest a bit." Justin says putting the ball down and sitting in a chair by the pool. El comes out a few minutes later with Andie. Andie hops in the pool. El looks around for a minute, not noticing Justin staring at her. She's wearing her new baby blue bikini.  
  
'Damn, Baby Girl's lookin fine.' Justin says to himself. "El, what are you looking for?" he asks her.  
  
"Camera men." She laughs  
  
"Why?" El walks over and tosses the magazine Her and Andie bought.  
  
"Just wondering if they're still watching."  
  
"This crazy! Look they got pictures inside! There's us on my bike when you broke up with Joe, there's you getting in my car the night you broke up with Chris, and there's us in Starbucks that same night!" he laughs  
  
"Looks like I'm you're new girlfriend Justy." She says sitting down on his lap laughing.  
  
"Ha, ha you wish." He jokes. JC gives him a dirty look. El just laughs.  
  
"Oh well. Let's swim."  
  
"Are you sure that's safe there kid?" JC asks her.  
  
"Ya why not, it is a bathing suit."  
  
"Well there are no straps it's gonna fall off."  
  
"Joshy, they're called boobs they will hold it up."   
  
"I'm getting out, I'm going wrinkly." JC says climbing out of the pool.  
  
"Oh no Joshy that's not from the pool, it's just natural." El calls  
  
"Eleanor." JC says sticking out his tongue  
  
"Joshua." El does likewise  
  
"Y'all I'm gonna shoot some hoops, any one wanna join me?" Justin asks getting out.  
  
"Oh I will, Andie Lance?" El says jumping out of the pool  
  
"No I'm gonna go inside, and read." Lance says  
  
"I'm getting cold, I'm going inside too." Andie replies  
  
"Suit yourselves, let me just dry off and put on some shorts okay?" El says grabbing her towel  
  
"Yupp." Justin jogs to the court and does a lay-up.  
  
"Okay Justy I'm ready!" El jogs over wearing baby blue short-shorts.  
  
"Y'know you can always borrow some money if you need it Baby Girl." He says looking at her shorts  
  
"What do you mean?" El asks quizzically.  
  
"Well could you not afford a finished pair of shorts or something?"   
  
"Justy you're such a smart ass." She giggles "And these are so cool don't ya think. They're like the pink one's J-Lo wears in her I'm Real video. I got a matching sweatshirt too, it's so cute."  
  
"I'm sure it is." He smiles  
  
"Okay give me the ball."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause I wanna go first."  
  
"No I go first."  
  
"No, ladies always go first."  
  
"Well that still doesn't explain why you should go first." Justin smirks  
  
"Don't be a butthead, now please give me the ball."  
  
"No, listen I'll throw the ball in the air and whoever gets it goes first."  
  
"Fine, but that's not real fair I mean you're like five million feet taller than me." She pouts  
  
"I'm only like eight inches taller than you, and I won't jump real high okay?"  
  
"Okay, on three. One, two, three." Justin throws the ball in the air. They both jump up to catch it. Justin gets it.  
  
"Ha I beat you baby girl."  
  
"Oh come on, that wasn't fair. You jumped higher than I did" She reaches for it, but her top falls down. Justin drops the ball and stares.  
  
"Justy! Turn around!" She cries, and quickly pulls it back up.   
  
"Oh wow, sorry." He stammers  
  
"Um sorry but do you mind if I um go inside?" El asks, embarrassed.  
  
"Ya, um no go ahead." Justin says awkwardly.  
  
"Tanks." El runs in the house.  
  
"Thank you Lord." Justin says quietly looking at the sky  
  
"Oh Andie that had to have been the most embarrassing moment of my life!"  
  
"Oh come on he's in a boy band he's seen boobs before. He went out with Britney Spears for goodness sake! How could he have not seen a set of boobs then!" Andie laughs  
  
"But Andie he hasn't seen mine!" El cries  
  
"Well he has now."  
  
"Be serious I'm so embarrassed!"  
  
"Oh I don't know why you're freaking out about this, he would have seen them sooner or later, and it just happened sooner that you figured it would."  
  
"Andie what are you talking about?"  
  
"Look he likes you, maybe he even loves you, and you are so totally in love with him weather you believe it or not I can tell that you do, okay? So when two people have a love like yours they usually have sex, and when you have sex you get naked, therefore he would see your boobs." Andie explains  
  
"Andie stop it will you, please? I already told you I love him like I love you."  
  
"And I already told you sorry hun I'm not like that."  
  
"Okay I do like him just a little bit, but I mean it's probably just a physical thing alright? Now Andie, I'm warning you, keep your thoughts to your self please."  
  
"Hey Justin, man what's up? You look like you're stoned." JC asks. They are in the living room, watching TV.  
  
"Man I'd tell you but you don't wanna hear it."  
  
"Man I've heard just about anything, don't worry about me."  
  
"I saw her man. We were playing ball and her top just fell down and like all I could do was stare."  
  
"Oh okay oh God you were right, I didn't need to hear that. Hey wait you stared! That's my baby sister man, be a gentleman."  
  
"I know I'm sorry but it was like wow."  
  
"Umm y'know man how bout you talk to someone else about this coz I'm…I'm majorly disturbed now." JC walks up stairs  
  
"Hey baby, what are ya doing?" Andie asks walking out of El's room.  
  
"Man I…I just wow, no."  
  
"Oh so Justin told you about El's peek show?" Andie laughs  
  
"Oh ya, it was…gross."  
  
"Okay sweetie but we have to talk."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About the situation between El and Justin."  
  
"Oh ya, we do. Justin well Justin loves her. But he's to scared to tell her. He doesn't want her to lose it like last time."  
  
"Last time? What happened last time?"  
  
"Well you know how she rebelled right?"  
  
"Ya."  
  
"Well that happened after Justin left, that's why she did it."  
  
"Oh no wonder she doesn't want to get involved with him."  
  
"Ya but do you know how she feels about him?"  
  
"Well other than saying that he's just a friend, she just admitted to me like five minutes ago that she does like him, but she says its just physical. But I know she loves him."  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"She always talks about him, the way she talks about him. I mean she sleeps in his bed every night; she has to have some deeper attraction to him. She doesn't cuddle up to people that easily, I mean we're like best friends and she won't sleep in the same bed as me unless she absolutely has to."  
  
"We've gotta do something Andie, at least get them to talk about they're feelings. Justin's torn up majorly."  
  
"El's silently suffering I know she is. I asked her about Britney and Justin once and she like nearly cried."  
  
"I know what we have to do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We have to throw a party."  
  
"A Party! Finally I was wondering if y'all would ever have a party! Who's coming?" El asks excitedly bouncing up and down on the couch.  
  
"Some friends, some strangers y'know the usual." JC shrugs.  
  
"No I don't know the usual Joshy, tell me the usual."  
  
"Umm, Nelly and his crew, um Brit, X-Tina and their crews. Um just a whole lot of people."  
  
"Oh you know who you have to invite?"  
  
"Who El?"  
  
"Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. They're yummy" El squeals  
  
"Um ya I'll try"  
  
"Oh JC This is so cool." El gasps checking out the club they had booked for the party.  
  
"Man JC you did good." Says Justin  
  
"Ya, it's huge. The bar over there, tables are over there, dance floor is pretty much everywhere, the stage is upfront, and the stairs are over there." JC points everything out.  
  
"What do the stairs go up to?" El asks  
  
"They go up to the rooms." JC smirks  
  
"Rooms? Man this place has everything." Justin comments   
  
"Ya it'll be perfect." JC smiles  
  
"Totally."  
  
"Damn JC! You got this place packed." El says over the noise.  
  
"Yup, seems a lot smaller now doesn't it?" JC asks  
  
"Ya I'm going to get a drink." El laughs  
  
"Hey El!" Justin calls walking over to her  
  
"Ya hon?"  
  
"Wanna dance?"  
  
"Oh ya sure, c'mon I can dance ya in circles again." You Don't Have To Call by Usher is playing.  
  
"Baby Girl, love the outfit." Justin says while they dance. El is wearing a stone washed jean miniskirt, slip on mini-heel sandals, and a hot pink halter-top that shows a lot of skin.  
  
"Thanks, lookin pretty sexy yourself." She giggles. Justin is wearing ripped blue jeans a black shirt and a suede jacket.  
  
"Don't you know it, want a drink?"  
  
"Ya, I'd love one."  
  
"El go sing onstage." Andie tells El.  
  
"No way man, there's to many people." She laughs  
  
"Oh c'mon Baby Girl, when we start our club there are going to be even more people watching you sing." Justin says  
  
"No I can't not by my self, I don't even know half these people."   
  
"Well I'll sing with ya." Justin volunteers  
  
"You will, cool but I chose the song just follow my lead you'll do fine." El takes a sip of her drink then heads up to the stage. "Hello." Everyone looks up at her. "Wow hi, I'm El, and I'mma sing for all y'all fine people here. But y'know I'mma be a brat and sing one of my brother's songs. But for y'all who don't know my brother is JC, and I'mma get my boy Justin up here and he gon help me." Justin laughs and starts walking to the stage.   
  
"That's your last drink there Baby Girl." He says taking the glass out of her hand and putting it down somewhere. Everyone laughs  
  
"Okay, hey Skribble spin Up Against The Wall." El calls to DJ Skribble. He gives thumbs up and the beat starts to play.  
  
Up Against The Wall  
  
(My Mix)  
  
El: I was just doing my thing, hanging out at the spot  
  
You know the place we go the music strong play hot  
  
And everybody was feeling the DJ Smoke cleared and I saw a sexy man  
  
The lights went low and the disco ball came down  
  
He walked up to me slow, and you know what happens now  
  
The guy was fine and he knew he had game  
  
What more do I have to say  
  
He took my hand; we never said a word at all  
  
We started grinding Dirty had me up against the wall  
  
Ask me about tomorrow you know that I don't care at  
  
I just got caught up when he had me up against the wall  
  
Justin: It's almost two o'clock time to make my move  
  
The after hour spot is where I'm going to  
  
Coz I gotta have some more lookin for somebody to hit the dance floor  
  
And Lucky for me I seen a fine young lady's eyein me  
  
With all the lights down low and her friends were all around  
  
I walked up to her slow, and you know what happens now  
  
She turned around and she worked in the worst way  
  
What more do I have to say  
  
She took my hand we never said a word at all  
  
We started grinding shorty had me up against the wall  
  
Ask me about tomorrow you know that I don't care at all  
  
I just got caught up when she had me up against the wall  
  
El: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the finest one you saw?  
  
He's underneath the disco ball, the disco ball, the disco ball  
  
Justin: Standing next to strobe lights, dancin' hot lookin tight  
  
The freaks sure do come out at night, out at night (night)  
  
El: He took my hand; we never said a word at all  
  
We started grinding Dirty had me up against the wall  
  
Ask me about tomorrow you know that I don't care at  
  
I just got caught up when he had me up against the wall  
  
Justin: She took my hand we never said a word at all  
  
We started grinding shorty had me up against the wall  
  
Ask me about tomorrow you know that I don't care at all  
  
I just got caught up when she had me up against the wall  
  
"Damn, Dirty's girl got skills!" Nelly shouts from the floor.  
  
"Yo the honey got talent." Usher calls. El and Justin get off stage and walk back to their table.  
  
"Girl I had no idea you could do that!" Justin says sitting down  
  
"Ha neither did I." El takes some ones drink and downs it.  
  
"Girl don't be drinking like that you know what happened last time." She nods and starts singing along with the song.  
  
"I am getting so hot I wanna take my clothes off." She sings  
  
"Do you wanna dance?" Justin laughs  
  
"I thought you'd never ask." She and Justin head out on the floor  
  
"Yo Justin this your girl?" Nelly shouts walking over to them.  
  
"No man, she my friend." Justin shouts back  
  
"Ya, I'm El." She says to Nelly as he stops in front of her  
  
"Do you want to dance?" he asks  
  
"Um," she turns to Justin. "Is it okay with you if I dance with him? Coz I won't if you don't want me to."  
  
"It's okay Baby Girl, you luv Nelly, go dance with him." He laughs. El Smiles  
  
"Tanks Justy." She gives him a kiss on the cheek and heads off with Nelly. Justin goes and sits down again.  
  
"Hey Baby how are you?" Britney asks sitting down beside him.  
  
"Hi Britney." He says awkwardly.  
  
"So is that your new girlfriend?" she asks.  
  
"No that's JC's baby sister El, remember her she used to come on the set sometimes?"  
  
"That's El? Wow, she's what nineteen right?"  
  
"Twenty one."  
  
"So um, Justin do you think we could talk?"  
  
"Brit we already talked we talked for hours for days there's nothing more to talk about." He sighs  
  
"But Justin I love you, I miss you, I want you back."  
  
"Brit I'm sorry we're over, and maybe in time we can be friends, but right now there's just someone and I really like her, and she's just confusing me right now, and I think she's confused herself, and ya… I'm just taking stuff slowly, kinda keepin it down low, so ya…"  
  
"Oh well um okay. I hope you're happy. Bye Justin."  
  
"Bye Brit."  
  
"Hey El you want a drink?" Nelly asks her  
  
"Oh no that's alright, umm thanks for the dance." She says  
  
"No problem shorty you dance like you sing."  
  
"How do I sing?"  
  
"Sweet, sexy, and damn fine." El laughs and heads over to her table, she runs into Britney on the way over.  
  
"Hey El, is that you?" Britney asks  
  
"Oh Britney hey, sorry I didn't mean to run into ya." El laughs  
  
"Oh it's okay don't worry about it." Britney laughs  
  
"So how are you?"  
  
"Oh I'm fine, this party's awesome."  
  
"Ya it is, Joshy did good."  
  
"JC planned this?"  
  
"Oh ya him and his girlfriend."  
  
"JC has a girlfriend? Oh man I haven't talked to him in forever."  
  
"I guess so, hey I love the new song. It's awesome I'm going to have to buy the CD."  
  
"Oh hey thanks. El do you know anything about the girl Justin likes?"  
  
"I didn't know Justin liked anyone." El says surprised  
  
"Ya I was just talking to him and he told me there was another girl, and he was just taking things slow and not really talking about it so I was just wondering. But hey don't tell him I was asking he might get a little angry at me okay?"  
  
"Ya that's fine, I'll talk to you later, Brit."  
  
"Ya bye El." Britney walks away  
  
"Oh man he likes another girl?" El asks herself "Oh get over it hon he likes someone you should be happy for him he's moving on from Britney." She scolds herself "Why am I acting like this? I've dated two different guys in like two months, I'm not falling for him again."  
  
"Hey El what are you doing?" Lance asks coming up behind her.  
  
"Oh Hey Lance, nothing just thinking."  
  
"Oh well would you think about dancing with me?"  
  
"Sure I'd love to."   
  
"Hey man why are you sitting all alone where's El?" Joe asks sitting down.  
  
"Just thinking."  
  
"About what."  
  
"No one." He sighs  
  
"Oh so El?"  
  
"Have you been talking to JC or something?"  
  
"No man," Joe laughs "I've seen you with her, I've seen the way you look at her, I've heard the way you talk about her, and I don't even want to imagine the way you think about her." Justin smiles  
  
"Joe she's driving me crazy, she flirts with me, but then she says we're just friends. When I'm with her everything just seems so perfect, but she doesn't seem to feel the same way. It is so frustrating." Justin sighs again.  
  
"Man you have to tell her. I went out with her no offence but she can be kinda thick sometimes."  
  
"No kidding. God when I was up there with her," he points to the stage. "It was just amazing we were just singing and dancing and having fun together."  
  
"Ya it sure looked like fun, she was grinding with you man, hard."  
  
"God don't even remind me." Joe laughs at him  
  
"Listen you have to tell her, coz honestly it looks like she likes you too. When I was dating her there was always this space she wouldn't open up to me, and if you ask Chris he'll probably tell you the same thing. But when she's with you I don't see that space, you seem so right together." Joe says  
  
"Thanks Joe."  
  
"No prob, J" Joe gets up and leaves  
  
"Hiya Justy." El says bouncing over to him and sitting beside him. Lance sits down across from them  
  
"What's got you so happy?" Justin asks  
  
"Lance bought me another drink, so I'm just a little tipsy." She giggles.  
  
"Baby Girl if I don't know any better I'd think you liked to drink."  
  
"Well she's got good taste made me buy the most expensive drink there." Lance laughs  
  
"Ya they usually have more alcohol in them, and you'd love that wouldn't you sweetie." Justin says putting his arm around El.  
  
"Justy I'm tired."  
  
"Ya so am I wanna go home?" El nods her head 'yes'  
  
"Hey Lance if you see JC tell him I took El home coz she was tired okay?"  
  
"Ya sure." Lance says.  
  
"Justy are you going to go to bed now?"  
  
"Ya why?"  
  
"Well I'm gonna need some help with my clothes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Coz Andie helped me get dressed coz this shirt is really hard to get on and off."  
  
"Oh well, okay."  
  
"Thanks Justy." They walk up stairs together.  
  
"Okay so what do I do?" he asks when they get into his room.  
  
"Well there's two little itty bitty buttons and they're on the strap around my neck. I could probably do it myself but I think I had a little too much to drink"  
  
"Okay, I got them."  
  
"Thanks Justin." El says sleepily, she turns around and kisses him on the cheek.  
  
"El…" Justin kisses her lips. They keep kissing; he wraps his arms around her waist. She jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist. They fall into bed.  
  
"Oh my god…" El cries to Andie the next morning.  
  
"Oh honey calm down, it's aright. Shh everything will be okay." Andie hugs her.  
  
"No oh Andie we had sex! I didn't even know I was that drunk I remember everything but… oh Andie we had sex!"  
  
"Sweetie calm down it's okay. But you know you're going to have to talk to him."  
  
"I don't want to I'm so embarrassed! Can't you do it for me?"  
  
"No honey I can't, but come on it was just a mistake okay? People make mistakes. I'm sure he didn't mean to either."  
  
"Oh Andie, but it's going to be weird now. And he's such a great friend I don't want to lose that!"  
  
"You won't sweetie I promise."  
  
"El?" Justin mumbles sleepily. He rolls over and sees that she's not there. His headache hits him and he remembers what happened the other night. "Oh shit, she's going to hate me."  
  
"Hey Babe what's up?" JC says kissing Andie good morning in the hall outside El's room.  
  
"Oh Josh you've got to talk with Justin." She's says worriedly.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"God him and El had a bit to much to drink last night and… and JC they slept together."  
  
"Oh shit! You're kidding me!"  
  
"Shh! Josh be quiet El's in there crying her heart out!"  
  
" Oh dammit! Why is she crying?"  
  
"Let's see she just got drunk and accidentally slept with her best friend! I wonder? She's scared that things will get weird and she doesn't want to lose him as a friend."  
  
"Nothing more though?"  
  
"No, maybe she's just confused. I mean I would be too. That's a lot for her to go through, and I'm sure she doesn't want to go through it again."  
  
"Okay I'll go talk to Justin, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm getting El some aspirin and some toast."  
  
"Okay." Andie goes downstairs, JC goes and knocks on Justin's door. "Justin are you awake its JC?"  
  
"Go away!" Justin says  
  
"Justin I have to talk to you, I know."  
  
"Come in." Justin grumbles unlocking the door.  
  
"How are you?" Justin lifts his head out of his hands and there are tears on his face.  
  
"God I just screwed up the best thing in my life and I have a hangover, and you're probably mad at me. I feel wonderful." He sneers  
  
"Listen Justin I'm not mad at you or El, but you two have got to majorly talk. She's crying in her room right now, because she doesn't want to lose you as her friend." JC explains  
  
"Man I can't face her." Justin whispers  
  
"Yes you can you love her, she loves you. She's just confused."  
  
"She loves me?" Justin whispers in amazement.  
  
"Okay well that's not a fact, but she told Andie that she does like you, she just not really sure of everything."  
  
"Are you sure man?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
"Okay well I'll go talk to her."  
  
"Okay I talk to you later." JC leaves. Justin gets up and wipes his face off.  
  
"Hey El?" he whispers walking to her. She lying face down on her bed, she looks up when she hears his voice.  
  
"Oh Justin I'm sorry." She cries.  
  
"Oh Christ El don't be sorry it's not your fault, it's no one's fault." He pulls her to him.  
  
"But Justin, you're my best friend I don't want to lose you."  
  
"El why would you lose me?"  
  
"It'll get weird I know it I've seen it happen all the time." She sobs  
  
"Oh El you're one of my best friends, I'd never let anything get between us." He squeezes her. "As long as you're okay I'm okay."  
  
"Oh Justin you're such a wonderful person." Justin wipes the tears from El's face. She smiles up at him.  
  
"Just for you."  
  
"Hey man how'd it go?" JC asks when Justin gets downstairs.  
  
"It went good." He replies  
  
"Did you tell her?"  
  
"Man I couldn't." he sighs  
  
"Why not! You have to tell her if you want her Justin."  
  
"Man she was just so…so…I don't know man she seemed so scared and upset. I couldn't put that on her just then I'll have to wait."  
  
"Okay man, I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
"El honey, are you all better now?" Andie asks softly sitting down on El's bed.  
  
"I'm better, a lot better. Me and Justin talked and we're just gonna you know be friends, and get over this I guess."  
  
"El I have to ask you something."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Did he, well y'know do you remember?"  
  
"Well I guess, I don't' really remember, but he probably did he's responsible."  
  
"Okay, well I'm gonna go in the hot tub wanna come?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Hey Lance, have you seen Andie?" El asks frantically, walking into the living room.  
  
"Ya her and JC went grocery shopping."  
  
"Have you seen Justin?"  
  
"No. El is something wrong? You're shaking." Lance asks setting down his book and going over to her.  
  
"Oh a lot's wrong." She says sitting in a chair. Lance kneels beside her.  
  
"Are you sick? What is it?" he asks worriedly  
  
"I-I need a doctor or something, I- I'm late Lance, my period is late and oh god, I'm so scared. Lance what if I'm pregnant!" El cries  
  
"Shit El, oh my god. I- come on I'll take you to the drug store we'll get a test okay?" El nods her head.  
  
"El are you okay in there?" Lance softly knocks on her bathroom door.  
  
"Oh Jesus Christ, Lance I'm pregnant. Oh God." El walks out the door and falls on her bed and starts crying.  
  
"Hey it's alright, okay JC and Andie will be home soon and then-"  
  
"NO! You cannot tell anyone Lance, No one! Not JC. Not Andie. And definitely not Jus-" she thinks twice about it. "No one."  
  
"Wait El did you just say Justin?" he asks slowly.  
  
"Lance I can't be pregnant not again!" she cries changing the subject  
  
"Okay hold up and explain this to me what about Justin and being pregnant again? When were you pregnant and…and is Justin the father?"  
  
"Shit Lance I got pregnant when I was fourteen, but I miscarried. Fuck! And Justin…Justin's the father. He was the time before too. But I told everybody it was the other guy so he wouldn't get in any trouble."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Justin and me went out before the group started, and we had sex and then he decided to do this. When he left I lost it I fell in with a bad crowd started drinking found a boyfriend, and had sex as much as possible. Then I found out I was pregnant I figured it was my boyfriend. So I went to the doctor and found out I was already five weeks pregnant and those numbers didn't add up because my boyfriend and me had only gone out for three weeks. And Justin was the only other guy. So he was my baby's father not that other guy. But I couldn't tell anyone else that, I couldn't ruin Justin's life like I had ruined mine. Then because of my drinking I lost the baby."  
  
"Holy shit, does he know?"  
  
"NO! Of course not no one knows that except for you, and you're the only one who will know that."  
  
"What about now?"  
  
"God, me and Justin got drunk at that party three weeks ago and we didn't know we were that drunk at the time but when we were getting ready for bed, we just started kissing and then we just did it, we had sex. And I was supposed to get my period almost two weeks ago but I haven't."  
  
"Shit El, you have to tell someone other than me. You have to tell Justin, above all else you have to tell Justin."  
  
"No I can't I won't, he doesn't have to know." She cries.  
  
"El! Do you hear yourself! Do you hear what you're saying! You're pregnant with his child! You have to tell him!"  
  
"But I can't! It'll ruin his life, his career, I can't be the one responsible for that!"  
  
"El he won't care! He loves you! Why don't you see that?"  
  
"He doesn't love me Lance! He left me by myself! He left for this! This is what he wants this is what he loves! Not me! I won't take this from him."  
  
"Hey Lance, what's up?" Justin says walking into the living room.  
  
"Oh um hey, nothing." He says awkwardly  
  
"Okay. Is El home?"  
  
"Ya, she's upstairs, sleeping."  
  
"Oh well I'll just go check on her."  
  
"Hey man you should let her sleep. She wasn't feeling to well earlier."  
  
"Oh okay then. Well I'm outside then." Justin walks outside. 'Man I hope she's okay. I gotta tell her what I got.' He thinks  
  
"El honey, are you feeling okay?" Andie asks softly sitting down beside El, on her bed.  
  
"Ya I'm okay." She mumbles  
  
"Well we got supper ready do you want some? I can bring it up here if you want to?"  
  
"Ya that'd be great, thanks Andie."  
  
"I'll be back in a couple minutes then okay?" El nods and Andie leaves.  
  
"El?" Lance peeks his head in side her room.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Are you going to tell Andie? Cause you know you need her she's your best friend she'll help you."  
  
"I'm not telling anyone for at least three months."   
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because if I don't miscarry, before then, then the baby will most likely live."  
  
"Okay, but what if you do miscarry?"  
  
"I go to the hospital, get checked out, maybe stay for a day or two depending, then come home and no one has to know anything."  
  
"El I'm sorry, but that's just not right. It sounds just…so wrong."   
  
"God you're right, but I don't know what else I can do."  
  
"What you can do about what?" Andie asks walking in with El's dinner.  
  
"Oh nothing, what'd ya get me?" El smiles  
  
"Spaghetti, what are you and Lance talking about?"  
  
"Nothing, I'll just go down and let you eat." Lance gets up and walks out.  
  
"El is there something going on between you and Lance?" Andie set's down the food and sits beside El.  
  
"No, we were just talking."  
  
"About what though."  
  
"Nothing, just something with Lance."  
  
"Okay well is it okay if I eat downstairs?"  
  
"Ya that's fine."   
  
"Okay if you need me just yell." Andie walks out  
  
"Morning El." Justin says as she walks down the stairs.  
  
"Morning." She says quickly   
  
"El what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"El, are you avoiding me?"  
  
"No why would I?"   
  
"Well I don't know you've just been acting pretty strange for the past two weeks. Are you positive?"  
  
"Ya, very positive."  
  
"Good cause I got something I want to show you." He says excitedly.  
  
"Oh, okay, what is it?"  
  
"Come with me, I'll take you."  
  
"Okay look." Justin says taking his hands away from El's eyes.  
  
"Um Justin we're at an empty building." She says  
  
"I know but it's our empty building."  
  
"Oh Justin do you mean you bought this?" she asks excitedly  
  
"Yupp it's ours, it needs a little work on the inside but it's a great building."  
  
"Oh can I look inside?"  
  
"Ya sure come on." El bounces excitedly as Justin unlocks the door. He opens the door and she runs in excitedly and looks around.  
  
"Justin it's perfect! I can't believe you bought it! You're the best!" She runs and hugs him.  
  
"Baby Girl…you feel different." Justin looks at her  
  
"Oh um sorry, I think I've like gained weight or something." She stammers  
  
"No you, don't feel bigger you feel warmer, and you look like you…like you're glowing." He smiles  
  
"Oh um, thank you?"  
  
"Lance can you give me a ride?" El asks him knocking on his bedroom door  
  
"Come in." he calls "Ya sure I can give you a ride, where to?"  
  
"Well I need to go to the doctors."  
  
"Oh ya sure, when's your appointment?"  
  
"Four so we gotta go like right now."  
  
"Okay just give me a second."  
  
"Ya sure."  
  
"Okay Eleanor Chasez, follow me." The nurse says to El when her and Lance get there.  
  
"Okay. Um Lance will you come with me?"  
  
"Ya okay." El and Lance go into the examination room. El sits on the table and Lance sits in a chair beside the door.  
  
"Hello Eleanor, I'm Dr.Grady. So you're here for an ultrasound?"  
  
"Yes."   
  
"Is this the father?" Dr.Grady asks looking at Lance.  
  
"No he's a friend."  
  
"Okay then, lets get started. If you could pull you're shirt up over you're stomach." El pulls her shirt up, and the doctor puts the special jelly on her tummy.  
  
"Lance come over here please?" El asks. He goes and stands beside her head.  
  
"Okay, so I'm just going to roll this over you're belly and we'll see how far along you are." The doctor rolls the thingy over her tummy. "Okay well it's looks like you're about two and a half months." The doctor tells her.  
  
"Um I don't see anything." Lance says  
  
"Okay well you see that dark spot right there." The doctor points to the screen. "That's the baby."  
  
"Wow I didn't think it'd be so big already." El says  
  
"Maybe it's twins." Lance says  
  
"Shut up. That's not funny."  
  
"Well you never know actually, it is pretty big. But if you go and talk to Nancy at the front desk we'll book you an appointment for about two months they'll be more developed by then, and we might be able to tell the sex then." Dr.Grady.  
  
"Okay thank you."  
  
"El, are you okay? You've been in the bathroom forever." JC calls  
  
"Ya I'm fi-" she calls. JC hears a gagging noise  
  
"El, are you okay?" JC asks her as she walks out.  
  
"Ya, just peachy." She mumbles  
  
"El you've been sick every morning for the past two weeks, tell me what's wrong."  
  
"Nothing Josh I'm fine."  
  
"El you've been in the bathroom for over half an hour throwing up- El are you-"  
  
"Get lost Josh!"  
  
"Shit! El you're pregnant!"  
  
"Wow Josh I don't think the neighbours heard could you yell just a little louder?!"  
  
"Oh El, you… but you're pregnant! How? Who?"  
  
"God Josh… just leave me alone." She pleads  
  
"El…is it...oh god is it Justin." El nods her head  
  
"You can't tell anyone Josh, no one. I'm going to tell Andie my self and…I don't know how to tell Justin…I-I…shit…" she starts crying  
  
"Oh Ellie it's okay, don't cry, don't worry."  
  
"But I don't know what I'm going to do Joshy! I mean I'm happy, but I'm so scared!"  
  
"Don't be scared okay don't be scared. I'll help you and Andie, and Justin would def-"  
  
"No, Josh I'll ruin his life! It'll ruin his career if people find out he has a child!."  
  
"El don't be stupid, Justin would rather be with you and your child then have any of this! He loves you El, he's loved you this whole time! You are going to tell him and then you are going to decide what to do. Together."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No but's."  
  
"Joshy thank you." She hugs him  
  
"Hiya sunshine." Andie calls as El comes downstairs  
  
"Hiya doll, can I talk to you?"  
  
"Ya sure."  
  
"Okay come on." El leads Andie outside  
  
"Andie I'm in trouble."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
"Oh my gosh! El! That's wonderful! But…Oh El is it Justin's"  
  
"Ya it's his." She smiles weakly.  
  
"Oh El I can't believe it! Since when?"  
  
"About umm almost four months. But-"  
  
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!"  
  
"I know but Andie what am I going to do?"  
  
"Well you and Justin are going to get married and then have lots more babies and live-"  
  
"Andie be serious, we can't live happily ever after. He's a superstar and I'm some nobody who had been living with her brother in Georgia and then was invited to live here."  
  
"El you are going to live happily ever after. You know why? Because you love him, and he loves you."  
  
"Andie I don't-"  
  
"El stop lying, you love him and you know it! Now admit it."  
  
"Andie I don't!"  
  
"EL I'M SERIOUS! You know you'll feel so much better after you've said it."  
  
"Oh Andie I love him! I love him so much, but I don't want to be hurt again! And Andie I'm so confused" El cries  
  
"Wow, I didn't really expect you to say it." Andie says hugging her  
  
"Josh! Josh! Come here quick I need to talk to you!" Andie yells running in the house.  
  
"What? What is it?" he asks turning off the TV  
  
"It's El!"  
  
"Oh no is she okay is the ba-"  
  
"Josh quiet!" Andie hisses at him "And no it's not the baby, it's El you'll never guess what she told me!"  
  
"She told you she was pregnant?"  
  
"Well ya obviously. But no she just told me she loves Justin! Can you believe it! I just told her she better stop lying and I wasn't really expecting her to say it but she did! But she doesn't want him to hurt her and she said she's just confused and…Josh she finally said it!" Andie takes a breath  
  
"Too bad she said it to you and not to Justin."  
  
"I know we have to find a way to get them to say it."  
  
"To each other preferably."  
  
"Hey Baby Girl I need to talk to you." Justin says knocking on El's door  
  
"Oh hey Justin I need to talk to you to" she says putting her pencil down and taking her glasses off.  
  
"Since when do you wear glasses?"  
  
"Oh just for reading, nothing to big, but I was just drawing up some plans for the club."  
  
"Really that's cool I was just going to ask you about that. But what do you have?"  
  
"Okay well I've been drawing like a maniac, and well I came up with this. See the way I was thinking we could make this like an old fashion kinda Mobster hangout type thing, y'know what I'm talking about?"  
  
"Ya I get ya like Bugsy Malone or that rabbit guy"  
  
"Roger Rabbit" El laughs  
  
"Ya, that's what I was thinking."  
  
"So was I when I designed it." El hands the drawings to Justin.  
  
"Wow, El these are amazing!"  
  
"Thanks I took a course in school"  
  
"Well it really paid off. These are really cool I love it. "  
  
"So how are we going to pull this off?"  
  
"Okay well I already had a guy make sure the building is safe, so we're clear there. I have all the paper work done. But we're going to have to hire a contractor, cause we cannot do all this by ourselves, but we're going to have to find staff and all that kind of thing. So I was thinking before the plans are finished we could go and start looking for waiters and bartenders and a house band and stuff."  
  
"Sounds great, and I can design uniforms and everything! Justin this is going to be wonderful!" El hugs him.  
  
"El I don't mean to be rude or anything but you are starting to feel a little bigger." Justin says carefully.  
  
"Oh ya I know I'm going to have to start working out some more." 


	3. Part Three

"Hey El how are you feeling?" Andie asks El one morning  
  
"A little sick but not to bad."  
  
"Okay. I was wondering have you seen a doctor yet? Because y'know you should."  
  
"Don't worry Andie, I've seen a doctor and I have an appointment in a couple of days."  
  
"Have you told Justin yet? I mean you're what almost five months?"  
  
" Four and a half. I haven't, but y'know he's noticing Andie, I'm getting bigger but I don't want to tell him anything yet, I'm still trying to figure things out."  
  
"Oh El, you have to tell him soon. I've heard the other guys talking, they've been noticing things too. And it'll really hurt him if he finds out some other way then from you.   
  
"I know I think I'm going to tell him after my doctor's appointment."  
  
"Okay Eleanor, lets just take a look." Dr.Grady puts the rolly thingy on El's belly. "Well, El it looks to me that you have very healthy babies."  
  
"Wow it's so big…wait…oh my…did you say babies?"  
  
"Yes Eleanor you're having twins."  
  
"El you've gotta tell him soon. I mean look at you. You're showing! I'm amazed that you're actually this small. I mean four and a half months pregnant and it only looks like you only look like there's a half filled up balloon in your shirt. Most women would be small Whales" Andie tells El while shopping for maternity clothes.  
  
"Thanks. I think. But Andie I'm going to tell him okay? Really soon I just have to find the perfect time."  
  
"Well then make it the perfect time!"  
  
"Ya, ya whatever. Hey do you think this would look good on me?"  
  
"Man I'm pregnant with twins. I'm having two babies. I am having two of Justin's babies. I love him, I think. But is it just old memories coming back? I hope so I mean Brit said he's into this other girl. I want to know who she is. Maybe I should ask him? But then I'd have to tell him how I found out, and then that'd get Brit in trouble. Ha, I don't want to get the man I might be in love with's ex-girlfriend in trouble, I must be a good person." El thinks in bed that night.  
  
"Hey Justin. What ya watchin?" El sits down in a chair with a book in the living room.  
  
"Ferris Buller's Day Off. I love this movie." Justin shoves some popcorn in his mouth.  
  
"Cool." El opens her book.  
  
"What ya reading?"  
  
"Hamlet."  
  
"Umm okay." Justin says making a face.  
  
"It's good literature, I like it."  
  
"Ya you would." He laughs  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Nothing go read your 'Hamlet""  
  
"I will thank you very much." She starts reading. Justin tosses a piece of popcorn at her. She looks up at him over her glasses. He looks at the screen. El continues reading. Justin throws some more popcorn at her. She looks up and he looks back at the screen. "Justin what are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing just watching my movie." He smiles. El nods and goes back to her book. Justin throws a handful of popcorn at her. El slams her book down and walks over to Justin on the couch.  
  
"What the hell was that?'  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You threw a handful of popcorn at me."  
  
"No I didn't."  
  
"Yes you did I saw you. Look over at the chair there's popcorn all over it."  
  
"Just because there's popcorn on the chair does not mean I threw it at you."  
  
"But I saw you do it, so that does mean you threw it at me."  
  
"Whatever." Justin laughs. El sits down beside him.  
  
"Don't throw popcorn at me." She smiles  
  
"Fine I wont." He puts some in her mouth "I'll feed it to you."  
  
"Thanks." She cuddles into his shoulder. 'Oh should I tell him? No not right now I'm too happy right now' she thinks  
  
"Hey El a contractor is going to look at the building tomorrow at one but I can't make it, I wanted to surprise you and have things started, but something came up and I can't make it, and the guy is booked up for like three months, so I was wondering if you could meet him there?"  
  
"Ya sure no problem."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Oh I've gotta tell him soon, I can't keep doing this these cravings are way to hard to hide." El says to herself on the way to the club. "Grr!" she yells "What the-!"  
  
"Hello?" Justin picks up the phone around three o'clock.  
  
"Hello is a Mr. Josh Chasez there?" a female voice asks  
  
"No he's not may I take a message?"  
  
"Do you know a Ms. Eleanor Chasez?"  
  
"Yes I do, is she okay? Who is this?"  
  
"This is the hospital, Ms. Chasez was in a car accident, do you have anyway to contact him?'"  
  
"El was in a…ohmigosh…I'll page him Bye." Justin hangs up the phone quickly.   
  
"I'm looking for Eleanor Chasez?" Justin says worriedly running up to the front desk at the hospital.  
  
"Third floor, room two-eighteen." The nurse tells him. Justin runs to the elevator and goes up to El's floor. He finds her room and runs in.  
  
"El…El Baby are you awake?" Justin whispers sitting down in a chair next to her bed.  
  
"Justin? Is that you?" she mumbles.  
  
"Ya it's me Baby Girl, I paged JC he'll be here in a couple of minutes." He takes her hand  
  
"Justin I-I was in an accident." She whispers.  
  
"I know sweetie how are you feeling?"  
  
"Groggy, and they said my wrist was broken I think, and they want to keep me here over night to make sure I don't have a concussion and…" El sighs  
  
"El I have to tell you something."   
  
"I have to tell you something too."  
  
"El, I love you, I love you with all my heart. I always have and I always will."  
  
"Justin…I'm pregnant. Twins." She half smiles  
  
"Where's El? Where's my sister?" JC and Andie run to the front desk.  
  
"Are you Josh Chasez?" the nurse asks  
  
"Yes now where's my sister?"  
  
"Third floor room two-eighteen, she has a visitor already, you'll have to go check and see if he's there still."  
  
"Thanks." JC and Andie race to El's room. El is in her bed asleep, and Justin is sitting in a chair beside her staring blankly at the wall."  
  
"Justin…" JC whispers. Justin looks at him.  
  
"I'm going to be a daddy." He whispers. "El's having my children." Justin smiles. "I told her I loved her and she told me I'm gonna be a daddy."  
  
"Are you okay man?" JC asks taking a step to him. Andie goes and stands beside El.  
  
"I'm the happiest man in the world."  
  
"Let's go talk." JC walks Justin out of the room.  
  
"El, hey sunshine wake up." Andie gently shakes El awake.  
  
"Hi, Andie."  
  
"El you told him?"  
  
"Ya I figure I just had a life and death experience, if I don't tell him soon I might not be able to next time."  
  
"Well, that's an interesting theory. What'd he say?"  
  
"Well he didn't say anything after and then I kinda fell asleep, but before I told him he…oh Andie he told me he loved me! He loves me but Andie…I-I know there's someone else."  
  
"El he told you he loved you, how can you think there's someone else!?"  
  
"I was talking to Britney the night of JC's party, and she was talking to Justin and he said that there was someone else that he was into but he was just taking it slow and not telling anyone about her."  
  
"Oh shit…El I'm sorry."  
  
"Ya so am I… But there's something else."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's… I'm having twins."  
  
"Justin you finally did it! You told her! What did she say?" JC asks excitedly  
  
"Well she told me she was pregnant, then we sat there in silence and then she fell asleep."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
"I know but it's probably the shock, I talked to her nurse and she said she broke her wrist in like three places, and they wanna make sure she doesn't have any head injuries and the babies or okay so they're keeping her overnight."  
  
"Man I have to admit she already told me she was having you're baby, but wow this is still great!"  
  
"She told you? Did she tell you she's having twins?'  
  
"TWINS! No man she didn't tell me that! That's great! I'm so happy for you!" JC hugs Justin  
  
"I know it's crazy man."  
  
"Hey Josh, El wants to talk to you." Andie says entering the waiting room.  
  
"Okay, Congrats man, I'm happy for you." JC heads towards El's room. "I'mma be an uncle times two!" he shouts  
  
"Quiet down Joshy we're in a hospital." Laughs El. "I suppose Justin told you about the twins."  
  
"El I'm so happy for you!" He gives her a hug  
  
"I know."  
  
"But y'know you're going to have to do something."  
  
"Ya Me and Justin have to figure things out."  
  
"Yes you do."  
  
"But that's not what I wanna talk about,"  
  
"Okay shoot."  
  
"Well my car has some major damage." She frowns "I need to get a job real soon, but for now I'm pretty well living off you, so I was thinking when me and Justin get our nightclub started I'll be making money and then I can pay you back, but I need a car before then…"  
  
"Don't worry Ellie I'll take care of everything."  
  
"Okay now watch your step, be careful we don't want you to fall." JC Andie and Justin help El into the house the next day.  
  
"Y'all I'm okay, don't worry I'm pregnant not crippled." She laughs breaking away from them. "Chris Lance Joey! Where are all of you?" She calls  
  
"TV!" Chris yells  
  
"Well I have some news that's bigger then TV!" she walks into the living room. "I'm pregnant with twins!" she squeals.  
  
"You're kidding!" Joe turns the TV off.  
  
"No way!" Chris stands up.  
  
"Twins!" Lance asks. They all hug her, and congratulate her.  
  
"So who's the daddy?" Joe asks. She looks over at Justin. "Wow you're kidding! You finally got together! That's great!"  
  
"Well we're not together, together, we still have to talk and figure all this stuff out." She smiles bashfully  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Hey Justin, um I gotta talk to you." El says sitting down on his bed  
  
"Ya, we really need to talk, about a lot of things." Justin sits up.  
  
"Okay business then family. Since I was in the accident I missed the contractor, and you said he was booked for months so… what's gonna happen?"  
  
"Well I called him, I told him what happened, and he agreed to look at the building and your drawings on his own time."  
  
"Oh that's great! Now for the heavy stuff. How are we going to do this, have a family I mean. We're not really normal I mean we can't just go to the park down the street and play on the swings with our babies, you're famous, And we're both real young."  
  
"El, I love you, I told you that. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you if you love me to." Justin holds her hands. "If you love me I want to marry you."  
  
"Oh Justin…I-I can't marry you…I-"  
  
"El don't you love me?"  
  
"I love you Justin I love you so much. And you have no idea how good it feels to finally tell you that." She cries. "But I have to many issues to work through before I can even think about marrying you. You hurt me so bad when you left me, I still haven't fully gotten over it. And then when I miscarried… God Justin I have to go." She sobs  
  
"El don't leave I can help you through it. And I promise on my life that I will never hurt you ever again." he cries  
  
"I have to go." El walks out and goes quickly down the stairs and right out the door.  
  
"El where are you going?" JC calls seeing her walk out. He hears the door slam.  
  
"El?" El is sitting on a swing at the park down the street from the house. Her head is bent down and she's gently pushing her self back and forth. "El I'm sorry for upsetting you." Justin kneels down beside her swing.  
  
"Justin I've lied to you, for a very long time. I've lied to you Justin."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Justin I was pregnant when I was fourteen."  
  
"Ya I know, after I left."  
  
"Ya but I- it wasn't my boyfriend's baby, I- Justin we made love the night before you left, do you remember?"  
  
"Ya, but El are you saying…"  
  
"Justin I was pregnant when you left It wasn't my other boyfriends baby, I didn't know at the time but I figured it out and the dates for us matched, Justin I'm sorry I didn't tell you I- you were finally fulfilling you're dream, I didn't tell anyone, because if that got out you'd be- it'd ruin you. I couldn't do that." So I told everyone that it was the other guy's baby. I'm so sorry, please don't hate me." She sobs  
  
"Oh Baby Girl, I could never hate you never. I'm sorry I did that to you, I'm so sorry." Justin rests his head in her lap. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
"Hi sunshine how are you feeling?" Andie asks as El sits down in a in the kitchen  
  
"Fat, sick, pregnant." She mumbles  
  
"Oh well I'm glad you finally started eating more you're eating for three of you, and you're not fat. You look incredibly good considering you're six and half months pregnant. Most woman would look like a giant ball." Andie says sitting across from her.  
  
"So the club will be finished in an estimated two and a half months, maybe less? That's amazing, you must have gotten the best contractor in the world."  
  
"Ya well we're getting more then our money's worth, you should come down with me and Justin today."  
  
"Going to see how close you're getting?"  
  
"No we have to interview people for jobs. You know you should apply the pay will be great, if we get enough people the hours will be great you'll be working with me it'll be fun."  
  
"I might I don't know. But are you going to start singing right away?"  
  
"No, I'll probably have the kids before the club opens. Then I'll just work with management then when the kids are older I'll start performing."  
  
"Wow you have all this planned out pretty well."  
  
"Ya well I have to have things planned."  
  
"Are you going to keep living here?"  
  
"Ya but not in the house. JC is hiring someone to fix up the guesthouse a little bit. And we'll live there until I can find somewhere else where they can be close to Justin."  
  
"What's going to happen with you and Justin?"  
  
"Well I still have to get past some stuff, and then maybe we can start a relationship."  
  
"Maybe? El you're having his children there is no maybe."  
  
"Well I'm just not ready yet…I don't know if I'll ever be ready."  
  
"God El this is gorgeous! You designed this by yourself?" Andie asks standing in the middle of the club.  
  
"I did help a bit and so did John." Justin tells her  
  
"Who's John?" Andie asks  
  
"He's the contractor we hired." El tells her  
  
"And did you see that line up out there? I didn't realize there'd be so many people!"  
  
"Okay Andie we have to get to work go look around." El laughs  
  
"I didn't think there'd be so many people either." Justin says as they sit down.  
  
"Well I guess they found out you were co owner."  
  
"Or people just like working in night clubs."  
  
"Ya. Okay so we should divide them into groups based on the job they're applying for, and go group by group so that way we know what we're looking at.  
  
"Sounds good." Justin and El call the people in and divide them into the different groups.  
  
"Okay so which one do you want to start with?" El asks Justin.  
  
"Um, bartenders then waiters, then cooks, then all miscellaneous jobs like washing dishes, ect. Then janitorial work."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
"Oh god that was a long day!" El sighs once the last applicant has left.  
  
"Man some people are just ridiculous!" Justin laughs.  
  
"Oh I know, that one lady, oohh she was pissing me off so much. She was all over you hardcore and then I ask her one question and she gives me the evil eye, we are definitely not hiring her."  
  
"Well you know she did have an impressive resume."  
  
"Ya but she was a bitch she'd get all the guy customers but we'd loose the female ones. But you just want her hired so you can get all up in her space."  
  
"All up in her space? Baby Girl no more BET for you."  
  
"Oh shut up, man. C'mon lets go get Andie I'm tired." El yawns  
  
"Okay Let's get you home mommy to be."  
  
"Okay Eleanor, your babies look healthy, but I think you're too thin for almost seven months, so I'm going to have to put you on bed rest. That means no heavy exercise, and a strict diet. I'll send home a list of things that you should eat and the exercises you can do. And if you get cravings you can eat what you're craving as long as it's in moderation and there are no harmful substances, the list I'll give you will have substances in food that you should not eat. Now I've told you before that twins can come early, so don't be scared if you go into labour between seven and a half months and nine months that is completely normal just get to the hospital. So unless you have any problems or questions I will see you during labour." Dr Grady hands her a chart  
  
"Thank you Dr Grady, I'll make sure to follow all your directions." El takes the chart.  
  
"It was nice meeting you Dr Grady." Justin says shaking her hand.  
  
"The pleasure was all mine Mr Timberlake." El and Justin walk out to Justin's car.  
  
"That was amazing they- they're so big and they have all their limbs and features developed it was…amazing." Justin says sitting down in his car.  
  
"I know it's so cool to think that those babies are in my belly right this moment." El muses happily  
  
"El are we ever going to be together?"  
  
"Justin I just can't deal with a relationship right now. Not with you and definitely not with anyone else. I can't deal with the stress of it all. As soon as I've figured out everything that's going on in my head then maybe we can talk more deeply about it but until then Justin we just have to be friends. Can we do that? Please?"  
  
"Of course, I mean I made it this far I can't lose you now." He smiles  
  
"Good, but Justin I…I don't really know how to ask you this because this could get a friend in trouble but I have to know…I heard you were seeing someone else…Is it true?"  
  
"What where did you hear that?! Of course I'm not! El you're the only woman I'm interested in, the only women I'll ever be interested in ever again! Where did you hear that!?"  
  
"Don't get mad okay but I was talking to Brit and-"  
  
"Ha, No surprise there."  
  
"And she told me that she was talking to you and that you had said you were seeing this girl and that you were just kinda figuring things out, but you weren't telling anyone that you were dating…and well that really hurt me y'know…so I wanted to know if it was true."  
  
"El…shit Brit shouldn't have told you that it's none of her business."  
  
"So it's true? God… I thought…you just said you loved me…"  
  
"El it's almost true…just let me tell you the whole story." El nods her head. "Okay when we were at JC's party Brit came up to me and we were talking and she was asking if we could ever get back together. See I told her no, and that there was this other girl I was interested in, I never said I was going out with another girl. She must have misunderstood me or you misunderstood her or something I don't know. But El… I was talking about you."  
  
"I love you Justin Timberlake." El whispers as a tear rolls down her cheek.  
  
"Justy…hey Justy are you awake?" El whispers, putting her hand on Justin's chest.  
  
"I am now…El? Is something wrong?" he asks groggily sitting up.  
  
"No, I'm fine I just can't sleep, do you think it would be alright if I… slept here with you?"  
  
"Ya sure of course, hop in." Justin pulls the covers aside for her.  
  
"Tanx Justy. Do you mind if we sleep with the radio on, I like the noise."  
  
"Sure, anything for my Baby Girl." Justin laughs and turns the radio beside his bed on.  
  
"What the heck are you listening to? Turn it to 93.1, you're station sucks."  
  
"Ughh! You're picky." He turns the dial to El's station. The Girlfriend Remix is playing. Justin starts singing along with it.  
  
"…Won't you be my girlfriend…"  
  
"Yes." El whispers getting closer to him.  
  
"Yes what?"  
  
"I'll be you're girlfriend." El mumbles then falls into sleep  
  
"Morning Sunshine, morning Justin" Andie says over top of the paper as El and Justin walk in the kitchen  
  
"Morning Doll." El says happily.  
  
"Why are you so chipper this morning? It's usually 'I'm sick and I'm fat.'"  
  
"Thanks Andie, that's nice of you real nice of you."   
  
"There's something going on. I mean you're not grumpy, you're not sleepy, you're not even complaining about morning sickness. Are you feeling okay?" JC asks  
  
"I couldn't be better, how bout you Darlin'?" El asks Justin.  
  
"Couldn't feel better Baby Girl." Justin pulls her into a sweet kiss.  
  
"Oh My GOD you're TOGETHER!!" Andie shouts running over to them. "I'm so happy!" she says hugging each of them.  
  
"So when'd this happen?" JC smiles  
  
"Last night, in bed." El says  
  
"Okay no more details for me." JC turns back to his breakfast.  
  
"Oh Joshy get you're mind out of the gutter, I just went and slept in his bed and bam we're together."  
  
"Last time that happened you got pregnant though." Justin laughs  
  
"Eating breakfast here." JC cringes  
  
"Hey is it true that if you have sex the baby can like see it?" Andie asks trying to gross out JC.  
  
"No, you see the cervix is so small that the-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" JC yells. Everyone else laughs. "I'd like to keep my breakfast down please and thank you."  
  
"Oh Josh don't be such a baby."  
  
"Oh Justin look at it it's so beautiful! I Just love it!" El exclaims standing in the middle of the finished club.  
  
"Come on Baby sit down now you're still on bed rest, I'm not even supposed to take you out side of our property." Justin says making her sit down in a chair.  
  
"But it's just so beautiful, Justin look at it."  
  
"I know okay so we have the staff coming tomorrow to learn their way around get familiar and all that, and we need to get some advertising done but there's one problem with that…"  
  
"We don't have a name yet! Oh I forgot all about a name with everything going on!"  
  
"It's okay, do you have any ideas?"  
  
"Um well something hot, something original…hmmm"  
  
"Um look at the colours, maybe that will help. The table's and chair's are red and black, the bar is red black and white, the general floor is red and black, the dance floor is red and white, and the uniforms are red black and white…I'd say something that involves red black and white would be a good bet."  
  
"The Lava Lounge."  
  
"Okay. Explain."  
  
"Ya see cause lava is red and white, and once it's dried it's black! It's perfect don't ya think?"  
  
"I love it."  
  
"Yay!" El giggles  
  
"Baby are you okay?" Justin mumbles waking up to hear El breathing heavy.  
  
"Justin I think I need to go to the hospital." She says between breaths.  
  
"Oh you mean? Right now! Oh my god! You're going in to labour!"   
  
"Yes I am now help me!"  
  
"Okay um I'll get JC and he can drive us and I'll get Andie to get you're bag and I'll help you, okay." Justin freezes  
  
"JUSTIN! Get your ass into motion!" she screams  
  
"Okay." Justin runs off and gets JC  
  
"Okay Baby just breath." Justin says while in the hospital room waiting for a nurse.  
  
"Oh no…" El says  
  
"What's wrong Ellie?" JC asks.  
  
"Contraction!"  
  
"Okay Sunshine it's okay every things alright, just breath, okay." Andie says  
  
"Yupp." El does her breathing exercises. A nurse walks in after her contraction is over.  
  
"Hello how are you?" the nurse asks.  
  
"Oh I'm great." El says with a hint of sarcasm.  
  
"Wonderful." The nurse says ignoring her tone. "So how far apart are the contractions?"  
  
"20 minutes." Justin says  
  
"Okay well just let me see how far you're dilated." The nurse checks El.  
  
"Well three centimetres. You could be here for a while. I'll come back in a while to see how you're coming along." The nurse leaves. El notices a flash out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"What was that?" she asks  
  
"What was what?" JC asks  
  
"I saw a flash from the window what was it?"   
  
"It was probably just a headlight or something like that don't worry." Justin says reassuringly. There's another flash this time everyone notices it. Andie goes and looks out the window.  
  
"Oh shit…guys there's like a ton of reporters out there." Andie says.  
  
"What!" El cries.  
  
"El Baby calm down we'll take care of it okay?" Justin reassures her. She nods her head. Justin and JC head out into the hall.  
  
"Jace what're we going to do?" Justin asks  
  
"Well we're going to have to stay calm, and call Lon and the boys and see if they can get the crowd away." JC says  
  
"Man then they'll know something's really up."  
  
"Well what else can we do?"  
  
"Well we could get one of the nurses to call the cops and say that the reporters are disturbing other patients and then the cops will force them to leave."  
  
"Good idea. You go back to El and I'll talk to the nurse at the desk."  
  
"Thanks man." Justin goes back into El's room and JC goes to the Nurse's station.  
  
"Excuse me miss?" he asks poking his head over the counter  
  
"Yes sir what can I do for you?" The Nurse asks politely.  
  
"Hi I was wondering if you could do me a favour?"  
  
"Sure hon"  
  
"Well you see I'm in a popular group N Sync, and ya see my sister and my friends are here, because my sister is having a baby and you see there are a load of paparazzi outside trying to get our pictures, so do you think you could call the police to break up the crowd? It's really freaking my sister out."  
  
"Oh I knew I recognized you from somewhere! My daughters just love you. And sure I'll call right away." She smiles  
  
"Thanks, you're a life saver. Would you like autographs for your daughters?"  
  
"Oh you'd do that? You're such a sweet young man my daughters would just love that!"  
  
"Okay well I'll be back in a moment."  
  
"No problem hon." The nurse gives JC her daughter's names then calls the police while JC and Justin write autographs. JC returns with them and hands them to the nurse.  
  
"There you go." He smiles  
  
"Oh thank you so much my daughters are going to be ecstatic! Oh and I called they said they'd be over in a few minutes."  
  
"Thanks a ton."  
  
"Oh anytime hon" JC waves and walks back to El's room.  
  
"JC are they going to get them to leave?" El asks  
  
"Don't worry Ellie they'll be gone very soon."  
  
"Thanks. Oh Joshy I want momma and daddy here, do you think you could get them here real soon? I want them here."  
  
"Well I can't guarantee anything Ellie but I'll try." JC smiles  
  
"Oh man could you call my mom and get her to call my dad and tell them what's happening." Justin asks  
  
"Sure man I'll be back in a couple minutes." JC walks out of the room to go outside so he can use his cell phone.  
  
"Oh no Justin another contraction is coming." El cries. Justin and Andie help her through.  
  
"I want my mommy." El sobs after a strong contraction.  
  
"Oh honey I'm here don't worry I'm here!" Mrs. Chasez calls running into her daughter's room.   
  
"We just got here sweetheart don't worry." Mr. Chasez says "Hello there Justin." He says turning to Justin.  
  
"Hello Roy." He says meekly. Roy laughs  
  
"Toughen up son you're about to become a father!" he slaps Justin on the back, and Justin smiles strongly at the mention of being a father.  
  
"Did you see if my parents were here yet?" he asks  
  
"Oh ya you're mom and dad said they were going to go get snacks Josh told us you've been here for a while so they volunteered." They hear talking down the hall. "Well that sounds like them now." Lynn and Paul Harless, and Lisa and Randy Timberlake come through the door.  
  
"Oh El how are you?" Lynn rushes to El's side after kissing Justin's cheek.  
  
"Peachy." She growls Lynn laughs  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"There's my boy!" Randy goes and gives Justin a big hug. "You're going to be a father!"  
  
"Ya. Hi Paul, Lisa." He gives each of them a hug. "Where's Jon and Steve?"  
  
"Oh well they're a little scared they're out in the waiting room." Lisa explains.  
  
"Oh well I'll go get them then. Um go meet El, sorry you couldn't have met her before." Justin goes to get his little brothers. Lisa Randy and Paul go over to El. Everyone except Lynn and Karen (El and JC's mom) have gone and sat down in the corner to give El some space. The three of them say hello to El. She nods her head weakly.  
  
"Nice to meet you." She says breathlessly. "To bad I'm in labour or we could all go and talk."  
  
"Well don't you worry sweetheart you'll all have plenty of time to talk once you and Justin are married." Lynn says  
  
"Who says we're getting married?" El sits up angrily  
  
"Ellie you're having his baby, you have to get married." Karen says  
  
"Babies!" she shouts "And you do not get to tell me that I have to marry him I'll decide if I want to marry him!" she roars. "Now back the fuck up and give me some space!" Everyone backs away from El  
  
"Come on guys you gotta meet her! You're going to be her babies' uncles. She's really nice, she even told me she wanted to meet you." Justin tries to convince Jon and Steve to come into El's room."  
  
"When did she tell you that?" Steve asks  
  
"Well I was telling her about you guys awhile back and she said she couldn't wait till she could meet you cause you sound so cool."  
  
"Okay but she's not gonna be mad or scary is she?" Jon asks  
  
"Well she's a bit irritable right now she's pretty uncomfortable but as long as you're polite you don't have to worry." The boys agree and Justin walks them to El's room. Everyone is sitting in a group in the corner and El is staring out the window. "Um Baby? What'd you do?" Justin asks her  
  
"I just needed some space." She smiles feebly. "Are you guys Jonathan and Steven?" she asks sweetly smile at the two of them. They nod shyly.  
  
"Come on guys she won't bite y'know." Justin laughs urging them to go over to her  
  
"Are you Justin's wife?" Jon asks her. Everyone in the corner braces them self's. El laughs  
  
"No I'm Justin's girlfriend."  
  
"You have a big belly." Steve says  
  
"Steven…" Justin warns. El laughs again  
  
"Well I have two little babies in there right now, once they're out it'll be smaller."  
  
"Cool." Jon says pulling up a chair beside her. Everyone watches in amazement at El who just a few minutes ago was roaring like a madman is now smiling laughing and playing with Justin's two little brothers. Justin smiles  
  
'Man,' he thinks "She's going to be the greatest mommy.'  
  
"Justin… contraction!" El calls. The two boys scramble out of the way.  
  
"El that one was only five minutes you're getting closer." Andie says helping her through the contraction. The nurse walks in.  
  
"I heard your contraction. I'm just going to see how far along you are." The nurse checks El. "Okay eight centimetres we're almost there it shouldn't be too long now dear." She leaves  
  
"Justin I'm going to be a mommy soon…and you're going to be a daddy!" she says happily. Justin kisses her forehead.  
  
"I know I can't wait." He sighs  
  
"Ow!" El howls. Justin holds her hand   
  
"Okay El come on you can do it. Come on Baby Girl you can do it just one more push!" he urges  
  
"I can't do it, it hurts!" she cries  
  
"Yes you can Baby one more push and you'll have you're first baby. Come on honey I love you!" Justin kisses her forehead she nods and pushes again. A minute later they hear the cry of a baby.  
  
"Oh Justin…Oh you're a daddy…"  
  
"Baby Girl it's a Boy." Justin grins as Dr.Grady hands a little blue bundle to him. He watches the tiny face of his newborn son and hands him to El so she can see.  
  
"Oh…Justin look at him he's so tiny…and cute!" she stares in amazement until she feels another sharp pain. One of the nurses takes the baby to get cleaned off. Justin goes back to El's side.  
  
"Okay El same as last time when I tell you to push, push." Dr Grady says. El nods "Okay now push!" El howls in pain again.  
  
"It's okay Baby Girl its okay you can do this. You can do anything I know you can."  
  
"Okay get ready to push again…now!"   
  
"Oh Justin it hurts to much I don't want to." She sobs  
  
"Oh but Baby once you see that next little baby in your arms it'll all be worth it, come on push." El pushes  
  
"Okay once more Eleanor." El pushes again and hears the baby cry  
  
"You have a Baby girl." Dr Grady smiles handing the little pink bundle to El.  
  
"Oh Justin come and look at her, she's adorable." The nurse returns with their baby boy and hands him to Justin.  
  
"We have to beautiful babies El." Justin whispers.  
  
"Ya." El agrees tearily.  
  
"Oh god it hurts to walk." El cringes as she sits down.  
  
"Well it's only been a few days Ellie, just give it time." Justin says admiring their children. "Baby we got to think of some names. We can't just keep calling them baby one and baby two."  
  
"Well I know for sure what I wanna name baby one." She smiles. Justin sits down beside her holding baby one.  
  
"What do you want to name my son, cause if it's geeky then forget about it."  
  
"I want to name him Justin, after his wonderful father." She smiles  
  
"Hmmm Justin Roy Timberlake…I like it." He kisses El  
  
"Now for Baby two. Something Eleanor Timberlake. Do you have any ideas?" she asks going over to pick up baby two  
  
"Um how about Erma?" Justin laughs  
  
"I don't think she looks like and Erma to me."  
  
"Hmm… how about Le'tice?"  
  
"No I don't think so sounds too much like Lettuce."  
  
"Well how about… Sophia?"  
  
"Sophia… Sophia Eleanor Timberlake, I love it." She smiles.  
  
"Justin Roy Timberlake and Sophia Eleanor Timberlake welcome to the family."  
  
  
  
"Okay Ellie watch your step." Justin says helping El and the babies into the house.  
  
"Justin I know how to walk okay just calm down." She laughs  
  
"I know I'm just…I'm overprotective sorry." He smiles  
  
"I know darlin' don't worry about It." She kisses him.  
  
"Okay lets get y'all in the house." Justin and El take the babies into the house and set down their carriers on the couch.  
  
"Welcome Home!" Everyone shouts popping out from behind various objects. El and Justin's brothers' parents and grandparents are there along with Andie JC Joe Chris and Lance.  
  
"Oh y'all! This is so sweet!" El says bursting out in tears noticing the decorations and the presents, and everything that they all set up. Justin puts his arm around her supportively.  
  
"She's going to be a little emotional for a few days." He tells them.  
  
"Oh sunshine don't you like it?" Andie asks going over to her.  
  
"Oh I love it, it's so sweet of all y'all to do this." She cries. "I don't even know why I'm crying!"  
  
"Oh don't worry come on you have to party with us!" El nods her head wiping away the tears.  
  
"Okay so what'd y'all get us?" Everyone laughs. El sits down and takes each of the babies out she hands Sophia to Justin and she takes baby Justin. One at a time people hand El and Justin a gift and they open them. Joe Lance and Chris gave them a variety of stuffed animals and baby toys. From Justin's parents they got numerous outfits for each baby and a double stroller and a teddy bear for each baby from Jon and Steve. From El's parents they got more outfits a baby monitor and some baby creams (you know for stuff like diaper rash).  
  
"Why Joshy I haven't got a present from you yet, don't you love your new niece and nephew?" El pouts playfully   
  
"Oh I got you something Ellie, come on everyone follow me." JC leads everyone out to the back of the large yard to the guesthouse.  
  
"Okay Ellie here is my present." JC hands her the keys to the door.  
  
"Oh Joshy! Thank you so much!" she hugs him  
  
"Wait till you see what's inside." He grins El's eyes go wide in excitement she runs happily into the house handing over baby Justin to JC.  
  
"Oh Josh! This is amazing!" She cries from inside. JC had fixed up the guest house so it had a complete kitchen dinning room and living room all of which are open there's a full bathroom near the front of the house. At the back of the house there are two average sized bedrooms and the master bedroom complete with a large master bath with Jacuzzi. Everyone else walks into the living room as El exits the master bedroom.  
  
"So you like it?" JC asks  
  
"Oh Joshy I love it! Thank you so much!" she hugs him and takes baby Justin.  
  
"Well we hope you like all the colours and stuff Andie decided on all that but we couldn't get all the furniture because we didn't know what you'd want."   
  
"Oh Andie, Joshy I love it so much I can't thank you enough!" El hugs Andie.  
  
"Well don't worry about it. There's it's own lane way out back so when you're car is fixed you can just park it under the car port and hey we even got you all moved in too!" Andie says.  
  
"Really! Oh Y'all this is wonderful thank you so much!" El starts crying again which triggers Justin and Sophie to cry too.  
  
"Okay well El we'll leave you and your babies to cry with Justin and get all settled in." JC gives his sister one last hug before he and everyone else retreat back to the house. Justin El and the babies go inside.  
  
"Oh Justin this was so nice of them but how am I going to do this?"  
  
"It's okay baby girl I'm here to help and so is everyone else." Justin says putting a reassuring arm around El's shoulders.  
  
"Oh Justin thank you so much."  
  
"Anytime Baby Girl."  
  
"I love you so much." Justin, surprised, kisses her forehead.  
  
'That's the first time she's said that to me in forever' he thinks. "I love you too baby girl."  
  
"Ugh! Do you two ever stop crying!?" El sobs. It's been three weeks El and Justin are living together in the guesthouse with their babies. They have had almost no sleep during that time. El's alone tonight though. Justin had to leave on a business trip and he would be back the next afternoon. El had told everyone else she could take care of the twins by herself but she found she was wrong.  
  
"I feed you I change you I play with you I rock you, I do everything for you but you never stop crying!" she sobs harder. "Please stop crying." She calms down for a minute. She sits down at her piano and begins to play and sing.  
  
"There's a song that's inside of my soul  
  
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again  
  
I'm awake in the infinite cold  
  
Would you sing to me over and over and over again  
  
So I lay my head back down  
  
And I lift my hands  
  
And pray to be only yours  
  
I pray to be only yours  
  
I know now you're my only hope  
  
Sing to me the song of the stars  
  
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again  
  
When it feels like my dreams are so far  
  
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again  
  
So I lay my head back down  
  
And I lift my hands  
  
And pray to be only yours  
  
I pray to be only yours  
  
I know now you're my only hope  
  
I give you my destiny  
  
I'm giving you all of me  
  
I want your symphony  
  
Singing in all that I am  
  
At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back   
  
So I lay my head back down  
  
And I lift my hands  
  
And pray to be only yours   
  
I pray to be only yours  
  
I pray to be only yours  
  
I know now you're my only hope" (Only Hope by Mandy Moore)  
  
She finishes the song and Justin and Sophie are lying quiet for the first time in ages.  
  
"So that's all I had to do guys? You couldn't have told me sooner?" El starts crying lightly.  
  
"El, baby I'm home." Justin calls lightly in case the twins are sleeping. He walks down the hall to the bedrooms when there is no answer. He looks in the twins room. They are sleeping soundly in their cribs. He walks over so he's standing between them.  
  
"Oh I still can't believe you two are mine." He whispers picking up Sophie then Justin, he goes and sits in the rocker by the window. "I love you guys more then anything, never forget that." Sophie makes a noise in her sleep. Justin laughs softly. "I love you're mommy too, and I'm so happy that we're finally together and we have you two, and I'm going to tell you two a secret, is that okay?" Baby Justin opens his eyes and looks up at Justin, Sophie gurgles, wiggles then opens her eyes too. Justin laughs again. "I guess that's a yes." Justin looks at the sweet little faces of his and El's children. "I'm going to ask mommy to marry me and then we can really be a family." Baby Justin and Sophie look at him blankly for a minute then they both smile at him. Justin feels a tear run down his cheek. "I love you both." He kisses each on the forehead and puts them back in their crib, and goes back to looking for El. He looks in his and El's room and there she is. He can hardly see her she's so snuggled into the blankets. He walks over and lies down next to her and kisses her gently.  
  
"Mmm…" she moans lightly. "Justin?" she opens her eyes a little.  
  
"Ya baby girl it's me." He smiles and brushes some hair out of her face. "Sorry I woke you up. I just had to kiss you."  
  
"Mmm…darlin' I missed you so much never leave me again." She mumbles sleepily cuddling into him  
  
"I'll never leave you Ellie."  
  
"They're counting on a guilty conscience to save you." El sings quietly watching Sophie and Justin playing in their play pen.   
  
"But I'm banking on the deep blue eyes." She tickles Justin's chubby tummy, "And the face to." She gently taps Sophie's nose.   
  
"You always said always said you were easy oh." Sophie and Justin clap their hands and scream happily.  
  
"Oh if I could have just one piece of that I'd be so good." El sings louder really getting into it. So she doesn't notice JC Andie and Justin watching her from the door.   
  
"Come over to the Sweet ones baby, And I'll tell you where to go!." JC and Justin give each other surprised smiles and wave the guys, who are sitting by the pool, over.  
  
"I can't see them when the walk in side ways I don't know. I don't know." Sophie and Justin scream again.  
  
"Wow, y'know I've never actually heard her sing, she's amazing… better that you C." Lance elbows JC.  
  
"Ya she's an awesome singer." Justin nods.  
  
"Come over to my house and I'll tend to you solo." She continues running to her room and emerging with a feather boa and fedora.   
  
"You're so fabulous and well dressed up like a talk show." She says posing with the fedora and boa while the kids scream happily as though they were singing along with her.  
  
"You always said always said always said you were easy oh. If I could have just one piece of the I'd be so good." She sings dramatically throwing off the costume.   
  
"Come over to the sweet ones baby and I'll tell you where to go. I can't see them when they walk in side ways I don't know I don't know!" she finishes to loud clapping and whistles from the doorway and crazy screaming from Justin and Sophie.  
  
"Baby Girl! That was amazing!" Justin says lifting her up and spinning her in a circle.  
  
"El I was told you could sing but I never thought you'd be that good!" Lance approaches her. Joe and Chris agree.  
  
"Oh c'mon y'all I was just goofin' for the kids." She blushes a deep crimson.  
  
"If you were just goofin' I can wait to hear you really sing." Lance says.  
  
"Well you won't have to wait much longer, Ellie the grand opening of the Lava Lounge is in two weeks, you're still going to sing a song right?" Justin smiles at her.  
  
"Serious! Of course I'm a sing! I can't wait!!"  
  
"I knew you'd be excited." Justin laughs kissing her cheek  
  
"Oh I have to go shopping and figure out what I'm going to sing and all that." El starts naming things off in her head.  
  
"El? Are you there Earth to El?" Justin pokes her gently in the stomach.  
  
"Oh sorry what did you say?" El says snapping out of her mental list.  
  
"Did you already feed the babies? They're crying, and I wanted to know if they need food or a diaper change." Justin says going to pick up Little Justin.  
  
"Oh ya they need to be fed." El hurries over and picks up Sophie. They get the two in their chairs. "Hey honey you know what I was thinkin?" she asks sitting down next to Justin and Little Justin and in front of Sophie.  
  
"That I'm incredibly sexy and charming and that you want me right now?" Justin grins  
  
"But besides that?" she smiles playfully.  
  
"No idea."  
  
"Well you know when Justin gets older it's going to be really confusing with you and him we're going to have to think of something to call him don't you think?"  
  
"Ya I guess you're right. But what would we call him? Would we go by his middle name or what?"  
  
"Well I don't really know I was thinkin maybe Jay or JJ you know for Justin Jr.? what do you think?"  
  
"JJ…hmm sounds almost… like he's from the street."  
  
"Okay well then what do you think?"  
  
"No hey I like it makes him sound tough, no one's gonna mess with my boy with a name like JJ." Justin's attempts to be a tough guy.  
  
"Baby give it up you're a pretty boy not a thug." She teases. Justin is wearing khaki shorts Nike flip-flops Baby Blue button down shirt with a white undershirt. His hair is light blonde and very curly, its messy but in a styled way.  
  
"I'm not a pretty boy!"  
  
"Darlin' yes you are. I mean look at what you're wearing. If you got any preppier you'd be sitting in a Country Club saying "Victor my man you play a good game of tennis." Or "Eleanor my darling we must make an appearance at John and Barbara's Anniversary party Saturday evening we must keep up our presentation right dear?"  
  
"That is so stereotypical of you not to mention hypocritical. Look at you." El looks down at herself. She is wearing khaki capri's with a light pink button down three quarter length shirt she has pure white tennis shoes. She has a platinum diamond and ruby tennis bracelet and a platinum ring and perfectly manicured nails. Around her neck is a string of pearls she has diamond studs in her ears. Her make up is light, natural and flawless and her hair is in a perfect French twist.  
  
"Listen Baby I never said it was a bad thing I like how you look and I think I look very nice." She feeds Sophie a spoon of strawberries.  
  
"I never said you didn't look nice I think you look gorgeous but all you're doing is sitting here playing with the babies and talkin to me and the guys."  
  
"I know but I like dressing this way it's comfortable. And you never know who's going to stop by so I say why risk it?" she smiles at him.  
  
"You're crazy." He laughs  
  
"I know."  
  
"Hey Andie what do you think of this dress?" El asks in holding a dress up to herself. Andie doesn't answer. "Andie look away from the twins for like two seconds and tell me what you think of this dress." El is holding up a simple black long halter dress.  
  
"You singing not going to a funeral." Andie turns back to JJ and Sophie.  
  
"What it's simple and black is slimming and I'm still pretty chunky."  
  
"No you're not you're just imagining it, hun. What about this?" She holds up a white dress. The neckline was a plunging V down to the waist with very thin red straps the waist had a red sash around it the skirt was full length with a random pattern of sparkly star bursts .  
  
"I don't know…"  
  
"El it's gorgeous! You have to get this one!"  
  
"Are you sure? I mean what if you can see my stretch marks?" El pats her tummy sadly.  
  
"El you have no stretch marks!"  
  
"Fine but do you think it's a little…revealing considering I just had babies? What if some thing pops out! I mean I'm a mommy now, what will people think if I show up wearing the dress from Kylie Monogue's video?"  
  
"It's not that revealing and we'll tape it now go try it on." Andie pushes her into a change room. She emerges a few minutes later. "Oh my lord! Girlie you're getting this one whether you like it or not!!"  
  
"Oh Andie it is amazing it feels so amazing too I love it!" They do the little girlie squeal.  
  
"So who are you gonna get to watch the twins?" Andie asks later as they sit in the food court eating lunch.  
  
"Probably Justin's mom since they're closer and don't have any other children to take care of. I mean I'd let my mom and dad but I want them to stay and have a good time since they're only coming down for the opening, and Lynn and Paul can come down any other time. But they'll be there to hear mommy sing her very first song to open the place up, won't you babies?" El smiles down at her children.  
  
"What song are you going to sing any ways?"   
  
"Misery."  
  
"By Pink or The Moffatts?"  
  
"Neither, I wrote it back when Justin left. I got the sheet music and lyrics all printed up."  
  
"You wrote a song! Like music and all?"  
  
"Okay I wrote the lyrics by myself but I got some help for the music. See when The guys and Richard Marx teamed up for This I Promise You I got in touch with him and asked him if he could help me put music to some lyrics and so we did it, I just never told anyone it's pretty personal. When I wrote the lyrics I was just starting to rebel so I just put in away some where in case I ever needed it later, and I do." She takes a bite of her chicken burger.  
  
"Oh El can I hear it please! You have to let me I'm you're best friend!"  
  
"Nope's Andie you get to hear it when everyone else does."  
  
"Oh you're so mean."  
  
"I know."  
  
"C, Man I need to talk to you, do you have a minute?" Justin asks sitting down across from JC.  
  
"Ya sure man." JC puts own the book he was reading.  
  
"Okay I want to get Ellie something for the opening but I don't know what she's wearing so I don't know what to get her because it has to match and I need to co-ordinate with her." JC laughs at him. "Come on man I'm serious, I'm totally lost I looked all over the place and I have no idea where she hid her dress and she said I would have to wait until that night to find out what she's wearing. Did she tell you or anything?"  
  
"Okay man, listen. El didn't tell me anything about it. She says she wants it to be a surprise. But I was askin Andie about it and she told me 'think red' so I can only guess she's wearing red."  
  
"Thanks man that's all I need to know."  
  
"No problem. So what are you going to get her?"  
  
"Something red." JC laughs again.  
  
"Well what kind of something?"  
  
"I was thinking a necklace, maybe. So I'm going to have to tell her to not get a necklace."  
  
"Okay Man." JC chuckles to himself.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"You." JC exits the room.  
  
"El if you don't hurry up we'll be past fashionably late right on to just plain late!" Justin calls from the living room.  
  
"I know I just have to do one more thing!" she calls from the master bedroom with Andie. "Come on hurry up!" she tells Andie who is trying to finish taping El's dress in place.  
  
"Just one more piece… finished!"  
  
"Okay how do I look?" El has her dress on her nails are painted so that the little hump at her cuticles are white and the rest is red. She has red stilettos her handbag is red her earrings are dangly and also red. She has her ring and tennis bracelet on too. Her eyes are dark and smokey with hints of red on the inside. Her lips are a bright cherry red identical to all the other red accessories she has on, her skin bronze from a tan with her cheeks just a shade darker than the rest. Her hair was in ringlets that fell on her shoulders.  
  
"You look great! Now go show Justin." Andie winks and nudges her out of the bedroom. She walks timidly down the hall to the living room where Justin is standing with his back to the hall. But he hears her footsteps. He turns around quickly ready to tease her for being so slow. When he turns around his mouth falls agape.   
  
"El…Baby Girl you're beautiful…" he barely whispers gently touching her face. She giggles shyly.  
  
"Thanks Darlin'" she smiles sweetly. He kisses her deeply.  
  
"Let's get going we're going to be late is Andie ready?"  
  
"I'm here let's get going!" she calls walking down the hall through the living room and out the door. Justin and El laugh softly and share one last kiss. He takes a box out of his pocket.  
  
"Baby what's that?" El asks.  
  
"This," he holds the box up "is your good luck gift, though you don't need luck with a talent like yours." He opens the box for her.  
  
"Oh…Baby, it's beautiful!" she squeals in delight. The box held a beautiful diamond choker with a ruby pendant that looked like a teardrop. Justin takes the necklace out and puts the box down on a table. He fastens it around her neck.  
  
"I love you Eleanor." He whispers into her lips  
  
"I love you too." 


	4. Part Four

"Oh… lordy I can't do this." El says sitting in the limo as they near the club. "I can't sing"  
  
"El come on you'll be fine. You're an amazing singer everyone will love you." Andie reassures her.  
  
"But look at all these people just waiting to get into the club, and imagine all the people who are already inside the club I can't sing in front of that many people! Hell I don't even know if I can walk in front off all those people. And look at all the paparazzi! I'm gonna trip and fall on my face!" She points too all the people waiting to get inside. They arrive at the front of the line, ready to exit the limousine. JC and Andie go first. (The rest of the guys were in the limo in front of them.)  
  
"El you'll be fine just smile." Justin kisses her quickly and steps out. He stands by the door and puts his hand out for El to take. She takes a deep breath.  
  
"Here we go." She whispers. She takes Justin's hand and steps out gracefully, her smile dazzling. Camera flashes go off everywhere. Her and Justin walk hand in hand to the entrance of the club.  
  
"You were great Baby Girl." He whispers to her.  
  
"Thanks, I can't believe you have to do that pretty much everywhere you go, its so nerve wracking."  
  
"You get used to it." He laughs. They walk through the coatroom into the main area. They are hit with a spotlight almost instantly.  
  
"Ladies and Gentle man," a voice announces over the sound system. "Justin Timberlake and Eleanor Chasez." The whole room erupts in cheers and clapping. El smiles excitedly. Her and Justin walk to their booth with the rest of their crowd and sit down.  
  
"Ellie you look gorgeous!" Lynn exclaims holding on to JJ sitting on her lap. Sophie is next to her on Paul's lap. They were allowed in for the song (it was a no smoking building) then Lynn and Paul would take them to their home and they would stay there with their Gramma and Grampa Harless.  
  
"Thank you!" she smiles. "So how are my babies?" she says smiling down at Sophie and JJ.  
  
"Very excited, they screamed all the way here." Paul smiles. Justin laughs.   
  
"Ya they get loud when they're happy." He smiles.  
  
"El you look…wow." Joe says  
  
"Drop dead gorgeous." Chris says  
  
"Very sexy." Lance smiles. All three stare. El laughs  
  
"Oh thank you." She ignores the staring.  
  
"So when do you sing?" Lynn asks  
  
"To soon." El laughs nervously.  
  
"Oh don't worry about it hon, you've always been a beautiful singer you'll do great."  
  
"Oh thank you so much Lynn. You have no idea how much that means to me."  
  
"Don't worry about it ."  
  
"El, what time do you go on?" Andie asks.  
  
"Umm, what time is it?"  
  
"Quarter to eight."  
  
"Fifteen minutes." She says nervously.  
  
"When are you going to go back, Baby Girl?" Justin asks  
  
"Bout five minutes I guess. We rehearsed today already, I just have to go and get all set up and stuff, nothin to big."  
  
"Oh, okay then." Justin says with a slight smile. Sophie screams a little, smiles, and claps her hands together excitedly.  
  
"Well what was that about, huh cutie pie?" El asks in a baby voice. Sophie screams again, and stretches her arms towards El. "Do you want to see your mommy?" Sophie giggles. "Can I have JJ too please?" El asks Paul, as Lynn hands Sophie over.  
  
"Of course." Paul hands JJ to Justin, who hands him to El.  
  
"Oh, I need to hug my babies before I go and sing now don't I? Yes I do!" she kisses both their noses. Sophie giggles and JJ babbles.  
  
"Well I need to kiss my Baby before she leaves too." Justin leans over and kisses El.  
  
"Oh thank you. Wish me luck everyone!" She kisses the babies once more before handing them to Justin and JC.  
  
"Break a leg!" everyone calls to her as she walks to the backstage entrance.  
  
"Okay Justin, what'd you do?" Andie asks once El is out of earshot.  
  
"What'd you mean?" he smirks.  
  
"I saw that smile, what do you have planned?"  
  
"You know how you told me about El and Richard Marx?" Everyone listens curiously. "Well I asked him about it, and he remembers her. He said she had one of the best voices he had ever heard. So when I told him about tonight, and the song she was singing, he actually offered to play piano for her."  
  
"Serious! That's amazing! She's gonna freak out!" Andie says excitedly.  
  
"Okay but hold on a minute. When did El meet Richard Marx?" Lance asks.  
  
"When we recorded This I Promise You. She wanted to meet him, so I took her to the studio one weekend. She asked me to leave so I don't know what happened, but they were in there for hours." JC answers.  
  
"Well they were writing music to a song she had written. I don't know what it sounds like. Her, Richard, and the pianist from rehearsal are the only ones who have ever heard or seen it that I know of."  
  
"I didn't know Ellie writes." Karen says  
  
"Well she doesn't really, I don't think anyways. She's only ever mentioned one song." Says Andie.  
  
"Well that doesn't say there aren't more. She had never mentioned this one till now, maybe there are others." Says Lance.  
  
"Oh I know what you're thinking Buddy. And no Ellie is not going to sign with Free-Lance." Says JC.  
  
"Of course not she's going to sign with Just-In Time!" Justin laughs. "But seriously though, I doubt She'd want to get into that."  
  
"Probably not." Lance agrees. The lights in the club begin to dim, and the voices in the club begin to die down until only a light, curious murmur can be heard over the soft jazz music from the band on stage. A minute later the curtain falls, and the jazz music stops. There is a moment of complete silence throughout the club. A few strains from a piano engulf the crowd then stop and moments later a low sultry smooth voice mesmerizes the crowd  
  
"Shadows are fallin' all around me.  
  
Another vision of you," The curtains are pulled back and a spotlight is shone from behind a lone figure on stage. You can see nothing but white light and a silhouette that occasionally sparkles. "Is all I see.   
  
Oh Miss Misery, you sure do love my Company." The spot light changes positions so you can see El In centre stage. Another spot light switches onto the pianist, Richard Marx. The piano begins up again.  
  
"Since he moved on, I ain't been the same.   
  
I carry the weight and it's drivin me insane.   
  
Guess it was all destiny, for him to cause me misery." El makes her way to the grand piano.   
  
"Oh misery, Oh Misery." A saxophone begins to play As El is helped up onto her seat on the piano by two men in white tux's.   
  
"Tell me why you let my heart, make a fool out of me.   
  
Guess it's just all destiny for love to cause me misery." People in the audience begin to stand up and make their way to the dance floor.   
  
"And Oh I travelled this road before.   
  
Where the passion it causes pain.   
  
And each time I saw him walk out the door   
  
I swore I'd never take him back again.  
  
But ain't it true, he takes and he takes.  
  
And my heart it breaks and it breaks.   
  
One more heartache for me and lonely nights in misery.   
  
Misery. Oh misery.   
  
Tell me why, why, why, why does this love make a fool out of me" El steps down off the piano and starts to walk back to centre stage.   
  
"Seems its just my destiny to live my life in misery." She reaches centre stage and pauses.  
  
"Guess it's just my destiny," El hits a high note and holds it   
  
"For love to cause me misery." El holds the last note then fades it away. The music finishes and the entire club is silent for a moment. Then the crowd erupts into a large mass of cheering, screaming, whistling, and clapping. El bows.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Richard Marx." She giggles, and the crowd cheers more.  
  
"Baby Girl you were amazing! I had no idea you could write like that, never mind sing like that!" Justin hugs El tightly.  
  
"You were great Ellie!" JC agrees.  
  
"Girl, you are up there with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Nicks!" Andie hugs El too.  
  
"Sweetheart that was amazing." Karen congratulates her daughter.  
  
"And you look absolutely stunning out there." Lynn smiles.  
  
"Goo!" Sophie screams. JJ hits her, and they both scream.  
  
"Oh my babies, your so silly." El leans down and makes funny faces at them, they giggle. Sophie yawns.   
  
"Well its getting pretty late these two need their sleep." Lynn stands up with Sophie, Paul follows. "You were lovely up there hon" Lynn hugs El "And don't you worry about these two, we'll drop them off at home in the morning."  
  
"Thanks mom." Justin hugs his mom and gives her a kiss on the cheek. He turns to El and smiles. "Follow me Baby Girl, I got somethin' for ya." He whispers in her ear. She giggles and nods her head.  
  
"Buh bye babies mommy and daddy love you." She kisses both their foreheads, and says bye to Lynn and Paul, then follows Justin across the club.  
  
"Mmm… Baby Girl you are incredible." Justin says quietly after passionately kissing El.  
  
"Why thank you. Hey Baby where are we?" El giggles  
  
"This is our secret room." He smiles mischievously.  
  
"We have a secret room? What are we twelve?" she smirks.  
  
"Oh c'mon where's your sense of adventure? This place is so cool." He gestures around the room. El admires it. It's fully furnished including a fireplace, a bed and a bathroom. She finally notices the candles that are lit all about the room.  
  
"Well it is quite romantic, I can't deny that." She whispers. She can faintly hear the strains of music coming from the dance floor.  
  
"Yes, well I try." He kisses her again. She giggles.  
  
"Well what has gotten into you tonight darlin'?"  
  
"Well it's your big night thought I'd make it special."  
  
"Well your presence is enough to do that." She smiles  
  
"I know but I thought I'd just give it an extra kick." He laughs kissing her again. El smiles and smacks his arm playfully.  
  
"Well aren't we the humble one?"  
  
"Hey you said it yourself, no point in denying it." El giggles as he kisses her once more, then she screams as he picks her up.  
  
"What are you doing!" she giggles.  
  
"Taking you away with me forever!" He walks over to the bed and carefully sets her down. He lays down facing her, and wraps his arms around her waist drawing her as close to him as she can get. "El I love you so much and I…" he falters.  
  
"Baby are you okay? Your hearts goin a mile a minute, and you're sweating?" El pulls herself up onto her elbow, and brushes non existent hair from Justin's forehead. "Is something wrong? Are you sick? Are you trying to…" El trials off not wanting to think about what she just thought of.  
  
"It's okay Baby Girl Nothing's wrong, I'm just well… nervous." He pulls himself up on his elbow too.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Well, I had this really big decision to make. So I thought about it and I know what I want to do and I know it's right, but I don't know if it's the right time."  
  
"Well what did you have to decide maybe I could help you."  
  
"Baby Girl I love you and I always will. You're my children's mother. You're my other half and I know that without you I'm nothing. I'd give up the fame the fans the money the cars all of it for you. Eleanor Mackenzie Chasez, You're my Baby Girl and I want you to marry me." Justin fumbles around in his coat pocket for a minute then pulls out a tiny black velvet box. He opens it very slowly to reveal a large round diamond offset by two smaller rubies on each side, in a platinum setting. El's speechless as she stares from the ring to Justin. He picks it up and holds it so she can read the inscription on the inside. 4ever yours ~JT. "So Baby Girl what do you say? You already have my babies, all I need now is you." He looks hopefully into her eyes, which are glazing over with unshed tears.  
  
"Oh Justin…Yes" she cries softly wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him down to her in a kiss.  
  
"Oh god… that word never sounded so beautiful." Justin whispers into her lips. 


End file.
